


I Shall Not Cry Out

by PassionateFangirl



Series: What if Sonic Boom Got Really Dark? [1]
Category: Sonic Boom (Cartoon), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Cy-Sonamy, Happy Ending, Horror, Lots of Angst, Pining, Sonadow if you squint, Sonamy if you squint, Sonkux if you squint, Sticksamy if you squint, but lots of angst first
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:02:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 50,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25961011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PassionateFangirl/pseuds/PassionateFangirl
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple trip to an archeological cave.Sonic wasn't supposed to get infected by some alien machine from the past.Sonic wasn't supposed to start dying.
Series: What if Sonic Boom Got Really Dark? [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2182629
Comments: 159
Kudos: 155





	1. Unintentionally Infected

His own personal hell started on a beautiful spring day.

Amy and Tails had found access to an archeological site. Naturally, they persuaded the rest of the team to explore it with them. Sticks, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with this alien robot technology, and she stayed in the village in case of an attack. Winding passageways, odd symbols, and a centuries old door of metal awaited those who went.

The door was heavy and thick. According to Amy, it said something about "keep out", but the rest of the letters had scratched off due to time. She squinted, trying to make out what else it could be saying.

Meanwhile, Tails finished hacking the encryption, and the door screeched. Everyone redid themselves in case of danger. It slid to the side, revealing a spherical cavern with a multi-coppered object resting in the middle. It consisted of a long cylinder, and two claws-one large, and one small. And the room _smelled_.

Everyone clenched their nose with two fingers. "Something must have died in here a while ago." Sonic muttered. "Is that some kind of...machine?" 

Knuckles shrugged. "It looks pretty. So many different shades."

"Look at this alloy! How many metals they used to create this?" Tails pondered. "I wonder what it was for."

"Maybe a silo of some kind? It's got the shape." Sonic jumped to the top of it, and searched for an opening to what was most likely the source of the smell: rotting food. "Huh. No lid." He coughed, waving away the stench.

Whilst walking in, Amy nearly tripped over an old tablet. She picked the tech up, dusting off the screen. With a static and a flicker, it turned on for the first time in centuries, and displayed a message. She stared intently at it, the symbols popping out in the darkness of the room.

"This is really old text. I don't know what any of this means." The pink hedgehog admitted.

Finally, Sonic sighed and just sat on the machine's top. "I betcha it says 'Do not eat, because the meat has gone rotten after sitting here for a trillion years'."

The others chuckled. Tails kneeled down for another angle, and put one foot back to better gain balance.

_Click._

All four Mobians snapped their heads to the ceiling, where a pipes led to a dim, blinking light. The walls started to crack, and some program that had been idle for centuries kicked in to alert it's masters of intruders. However, passing time had severe consequences, and the entire room was about to collapse in on itself from the strain.

"We gotta get out of here!"

The old ceiling bore down on the group, and they scrambled to reach the door again. Sonic, however, found his foot was in the iron grip of the machine's larger claw. In the chaos, it had somehow activated. "GUYS-" He was about to scream for help when he noticed a particularly large chunk of the ceiling sliding down the wall, directly in their path. If they tried to save him, they'd get crushed too. He couldn't let them know. But it was too late, as Tails' ear turned toward him like a radar.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" He screamed, hoping they would at least obey his last wish.

The fox yelled, reaching out towards Sonic, when the passage was blocked off by the falling boulder. Only Knuckles' reflexes stopped him from losing his arm.

“SONIC!” Tails screamed.

There was dead silence. Amy brought her hands to her lips as heavy realization set in.

A blue ball suddenly burst from the wall, revealing a dirt-covered hedgehog with a semi-bloody chest.

“Sonic?! Sonic are you okay?” Amy asked, running over to him. “Your chest-

“What are you talking about? I’m more than okay. Honest!” Sonic smiled, mock-running in place. “Don’t worry. Crushed the robot grabbing me. Haven’t had a workout like that since Lyric.” He was talking fast and thinking nothing.

“Are you sure? You’re clearly hurt.”

“We’ll worry about that later. Now let’s, I dunno, get out of here before we activate any more monstrosities. I can bandage up when we get home.” He began running, and the others had no choice but to follow with concern.

The site was later deemed off-limits.

As soon as they reached the town center, the team forcefully pushed Sonic into the doctor's office for a wound check-up.

As they waited outside, Amy sniffed the air. Ugh. The stench had followed them home. She crossed her arms, and greeted sticks with a nod when she bounded up to her friends.

"You smell different." She noticed. Tails rolled his eyes. "So! Find any alien remains?"

"No. Sonic got hit with some rubble, but he says it wasn't bad." Knuckles said.

"Did you find _anything_?" Sticks inquired. Amy pulled out the ancient tablet she managed to save, and was about to answer.

They were interrupted by a blue hedgehog sauntering out with gauze on his chest. He had been deemed fine, if a little hyper on adrenaline. "It's all good, gang! Just don't, you know, go running into any unknown caves for a while." Sonic laughed.

Amy coughed. "Now that you're taken care of, we should go get cleaned." She pointed to Sonic's scarf, which had red bloodstains on it. "That includes our clothes."

The hedgehog grit his teeth at the sight of his beautiful scarf tarnished, and put a foot up to run. However, Tails grabbed his arm and insisted he and Sonic speak alone. A little ways away from the others, the kit stared his brother down, determined to get all the answers.

“Sonic. Are you absolutely sure-“

“Yes, Tails, for the millionth time!” Sonic sighed, exasperated. “Sorry. I promise, I was just hit with some rubble.”

Tails nodded, wrapping his namesake around himself. “Fine. I just...what exactly happened in there? We never got a chance to properly talk.”

“Like I said, I destroyed the machine that grabbed me and burrowed my way to you guys. The walls were old and breakable, so y'know." Sonic tugged at his scarf, furrowing his brows. "I'm gonna go give myself a good rinse. Red doesn't go with my eyes."

Tails raised his brows, glancing down at his scarlet shoes, but let out a light laugh. "Alright." 

Sonic smirked and sped away. A blue blur disappearing into the distance, seemingly very eager to clean himself off to the rest of the villagers.

The hero skid to a halt in front of his house. Frantic, he stumbled inside and opened a hatch on the floorboards, leading to the bathroom. Forgoing the ladder for just jumping down, he tore off his scarf and walked to a mirror, ignoring the shower curtains to his right.

Thank God the doctor didn't seem to know what truly happened. He thought it was a wound from a sharp rock, like Sonic told him. And everyone else.

Sonic slowly peeled away the gauze, already heavily bloodied, and leaned over the sink to inspect himself. He took a shaky breath when he saw the slit on his skin, heart pounding.

_He remembered the machine precisely slicing his chest open above his heart. He remembered seeing the odd droplet of liquid, like mercury, falling towards the open wound. He had watched helplessly, painfully, as it dug itself inside him like some microscopic parasite._

He grimaced, and turned on the shower-head. Even as warm water and soap poured over his fur, his heart beat painfully with every breath. Sonic watched his own blood drip into the drain with the dirt. Getting out, he dried himself off with a towel, and winced.

 _It hurts._ He thought.


	2. There Is No Patient Zero

"NO! NO! STOP!" Sonic screamed as he could practically _feel_ the blade pierce his skin.

The speedster fell out of his hammock, face meeting ground. Groaning, he steadily wobbled to a chair he could sit on, and shuddered. Bad dreams. Very bad dreams.

Tentatively, he looked down at his bandage. It seemed to have stopped bleeding.

Curious, Sonic unwrapped it and was greeted with black spot in place of the gash. It had an alien shine to it, and looked more like somebody precariously bedazzled his skin as some sort of prank.

Sonic tried to pick it off, but was only met with spasms of pain.

"Okay...it's alright...you just...have a weird scab. That's all. Heh." He muttered to himself. "Your skin didn't...turn this shade of midnight black." He looked to his stove and bit his lip. Gingerly, Sonic reapplied a bandage before pulling his scarf over the spot.

He'd be fine. He'd be fine.

"Making breakfast. Making breakfast. Even though I'm not good at it~" Sonic sang to himself, trying to forget the pain from his dream last night. It had felt so real. The blade cutting into his skin. The pain from whatever the hell that machine put inside him.

Even the smell was present while he was asleep.

The eggs on the pan burnt and popped, stinging his skin. Sonic flailed around for a moment before moving the pot to the cooler side of the stove. _Focus, hedgehog, focus!_

His communicator blipped, and he opened it to see a text from Knuckles:

_metin t mehborg_

_pz e oc_

Sonic was well versed in what he called "knuckles speak". He typed back that he'd be over there in five minutes.

Finishing off the burnt egg, Sonic stretched and fluffed up his spines. "Just smile. You're okay. you're gonna be fine, buddy!" He said, faking a grin with every word. "Tomorrow everything will be back to normal and you can add this to the list of weird things that happened to ya."

He hopped down the stairs and jogged towards Hedgehog Village. He waved upon seeing his friends, halting and leaning on the side of a chair. "Top of the morning. Don't worry Knux, I'm ok."

The echidna let out a sigh of relief.

"Feeling better?" Tails asked, perking up.

"More like feeling cleaner." Sonic smiled. "Soo...what's on the agenda for today?"

"Well, we thought we might just take it easy for today." Amy shrugged. "Maybe head to the beach at your place."

Sonic rolled his eyes. _They're still worried about me._ "Alright, sounds like a gig."

"Then it's settled!" Tails stood up. "I'll go get my stuff!"

Everyone got up and began heading off to grab their essentials. Sonic quickly ran back to his house, changing into a swimsuit and dragging a pair of tanning chairs into the sun. He huffed, and stared across the skyline.

"Ugh." Sonic put a hand to his chest. A short but sharp feeling of pain. Nothing to worry about. He was still a little sore.

It wasn't long before the others showed up. Everyone wore a swimsuit expect for Sticks. Sonic presented his front lawn like a gentlehog, and tossed a volleyball in the air.

The group engaged in the usual beach activities. Floating in the water, making sandcastles (Knuckles enjoyed that the most), playing games and relaxing in the sun. Sonic's favorite thing to do was carve out art in the sand using his spin dash.

Whilst in the progress of making a chili dog lineart, he felt that pang of pain again and stumbled off course, crashing into a tree and having coconuts fall around him.

"Sonic! What happened?" Tails rushed over, worried.

"Tripped over a seashell." Sonic quickly lied. To the others, and to himself. "But on the bright side, we got coconuts!"

Knuckles cracked his namesakes and split the fruits in half. It wasn't long before everyone was on the sand, enjoying the nice, soft water of the _Cocos nucifera_. Sonic tossed his husk (mentally reminding himself to add it to his collection later) and flopped down at the shore. The seawater hit the beach, soaking his quills. He sighed, in bliss.

"Nice, isn't it?" Amy fell down next to him. "The sea breeze. The sound of the waves. We really ought to do this more often."

There was a sound much similar to an explosion off in the distance, followed by a familiar evil laugh.

"Too soon." Sonic sat up, shaking sand out of his fur. "Alright, gang, let's go tell Eggman why he shouldn't attack on Sundays."

They sped to the village center for the second time that day, armed with beach towels and sand shovels. Eggman turned to look at them, and laughed. "I must have caught you in the middle of something, huh? Well, that's what you get for letting me attack on Sundays."

"It's the holy day of rest! Don't you respect that?!" Tails stomped.

"I'm evil, so...no, I really don't." Eggman said. "Plus I was bored. I thought we could have some fun together!" He snapped his fingers, and several bee-bots rushed forward. They started shooting, and everyone ran in different directions. Sonic found himself hopping around to avoid the beams.

"You call hitting our feet with lasers fun?!" Sonic yelled.

"It's called making people dance, pineapple. Course I didn't expect you to know that!" Eggman pulled out a bazooka. "MISTER UNCULTURED NEEDLEMOUSE WHO HAS NEVER SEEN A SINGLE WESTERN!"

He fired just as another hit of pain dashed through Sonic's veins. He barely sidestepped out of the way, but the ensuing blast was enough to knock him over.

Sonic grit his teeth and pushed through the army of motobugs that came to stop him. Rolling into a ball, he ping-ponged off each one of them and onto Eggman's vehicle, punting it into the sky. The doctor screamed, his plans foiled again.

Sonic dropped to the ground, his hands on his knees. Smoking remains of machines were strewn about. He let out an exhale, before something clicked.

 _I'm a little out of breath. I've never been out of breath before. And certainly not from that a burst of speed_ that _small._

He didn't have time to dwell on that, because his friends had finished off the other machines and were coming for a group high five. Sonic forced a smile onto his face, and gladly returned their high-fives.

As a victory lunch, they hit up Meh Burger, which was easy since it was 5 feet away from them.

Sonic bit into his burger hungrily, already numb to the bad taste. He reached for a plain soda and took a sip...

_PAIN._

Sonic took it down the wrong pipe, coughing. He set the drink down, it's contents sloshing, and beat his chest. No, bad idea, that was _right_ where he got hurt. Now in even more pain, he curled in on himself until tears pricked the ends of his eyes.

"Sonic? Easy, dude. You okay?" Knuckles leaned over, concerned for his friend.

"GACKwrong pipeHACK" Sonic blabbered, before coughing a few more times. "...I hate it when that happens." His chest felt sore. It hurt when he breathed.

Tails eyed him, but didn't say anything.

"Well, you survived, so...victory punch!" Amy lightly slugged him on the arm. "I'd give you a hug, but..."

"Yeah. Thanks." Sonic readjusted his scarf. He had continued to wear it in hopes everyone wouldn't keep looking at his gauze. He turned towards his meal, ready to take another bite, when he noticed it was all gone.

"Knuckles? Did you eat my burger again?" He looked up at the echidna from across the table.

"...No? You finished it before you started choking. Is this some kinda joke I don't understand again?"

_I already ate it? But I thought..._

Sonic shrugged. "Eh. I musta scarfed it down too quick to notice." He pulled away from the table and excused himself for the restroom. He ran inside, shutting the door and standing in front of the mirror.

"Ow...shoot. Keep it together. You just daydreamed a little too hard while eating. Nothing to worry about." Sonic blinked, and took a deep breath before rejoining his friends. Maybe they could play a few board games together.


	3. I'm Not Okay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 3000 words so far? I gotta step up my game in the coming chapters!

For the first time, Sonic didn't want to sleep.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could only see the breaking ceiling and those claws above him, digging into him without disdain. He laid on his side, eyes wide open and shuddering.

And from time to time, his chest would still hurt. Just a prick, like a needle.

Being a speedster, Sonic could regenerate his injuries rather quickly. He was a fast recoverer and an even faster healer. So why was it taking so long to heal?

_Maybe it to do with...I dunno, the weird liquid it dropped into your lungs?_

No. He shook his head, curling up on himself. That wasn't it. It couldn't be. Sonic refused to accept that as an answer. Perhaps he was just healing at a normal rate for the first time.

Despite his efforts to forgo dreaming, the hedgehog drifted off to sleep.

Several blocks away, Amy was pulling another all-nighter. She stared at the notes in her hand and the fizzling tablet screen. Nothing she deciphered made sense.

"Bone...no, it couldn't be that. Doesn't make any sense." She muttered, scribbling another possible answer off the sheet of paper. "Ugh. Is this even a language from the Ancients?" Amy asked the immobile object.

The tablet stared at her silently. She grumbled.

Sonic woke up in another cold sweat. That was it. He had to go distract himself one way or another. _Somebody_ has to be awake at this hour.

Then his heart seemed to twist in on itself.

He gasped, leaning against the wall and gritting his teeth. Slowly, the feeling subsided.

Ouch. That felt more painful than any of the other times. For a moment he considered staying home, but one memory of the machine forced him out the door and onto the road.

_This was a bad idea. They're gonna realize something's up with you. You never stay awake this late unless it's a contest._

Sonic skid to a halt in the middle of the jungle, growling. "Ugh, what's the friggin' point then?!" He kicked several small rocks around, trying to ignore the loud exhales coming from his throat.

He noticed the bandage had unraveled during his run. Irritated beyond words, he yanked it off, only to find something much, much worse than the black scab.

All leading back to the point where he was injured, there were tiny jet-black veins jutting out from beneath his skin.

"What the hell is that?" Sonic swallowed thickly. "What the _hell is that_?!"

There was no denying it anymore. He was sick, and he didn't know what it truly was.

The veins were thin, and didn't go far. Good. That meant it was easy to hide. Sonic clutched the remaining bandages in a fist, and turned to speed back home.

"Hello?"

Sonic stopped mid-run. In his outburst, he hadn't realized how close he was to Amy's house. Hastily, he rewrapped the bandages and tried sneaking away.

A flashlight hit him. He was like a hedgehog in headlights.

Amy rubbed her eyes. "Sonic? It's two in the morning, what are you doing out here?"

"Uh..." Sonic's mind went blank. May as well tell her the truth. "Couldn't sleep."

Amy walked down and off her porch. "Something's wrong, then." Sonic inched away as she walked up to him, hoping she wouldn't see the horrible work he had done to redress his wound, but she instead offered a hand. "Come inside, we can chat. I have tea."

There were bags under her eyes. She was too tired to notice, or care. Normally he'd be worried, but right now Sonic was grateful.

He allowed her to lead him inside, where he sat down on her couch as she brought out cups. The clinking of the porcelain was a little loud on his ears, but Sonic didn't say anything. He tapped a finger on his knee, not even bothering to look around. He was focused on something hurting.

_Ow._

He hadn't noticed it until now, but there was a dull pain emanating from his heart. It wasn't like those sharp spikes of pain yesterday, or that sudden grip on his heart earlier. No, it just...hurt.

The sound of a cup hitting the surface of the coffee table brought him back to reality. Sonic smiled, taking the warm drink and pulling it to his lips. The warm liquid felt amazing on his throat. After finishing his first sip, he cleared his throat. "So...what are you doing up this late?"

"Trying to study that tablet I found." Amy pointed to her messy desk. "The writing is either unintelligible, or in another language altogether."

 _She found that tablet in the room that hurt you._ Sonic realized. _If she deciphers it, they'll find out what's going on with you._

_But maybe you can get help._

"I'm sure you'll figure it out." Sonic said encouragingly, before taking another sip of his tea. "Is this citrus?"

"No, it's just plain water. I wanted to see how tired you were before noticing."

Sonic's eyes widened, his expression one of pure terror, before Amy started laughing. "I'm kidding! It's honey chamomile, actually." She smiled as Sonic returned the laugh, failing to see why he was so freaked out in the first place.

Sonic truly could not tell the taste of the tea.

After some more discussion on sleeping habits and tablets, Sonic retired for the night. He bid Amy goodbye, and walked home. The chirping of the crickets did not help the atmosphere. He felt like he was being watched the entire path home. Sonic hugged himself, only relaxing a little once he saw the familiar outline of his shack.

Carefully, he tugged off the bandages and climbed down to his bathroom, searching for new ones to hide his mark. It hadn't stopped hurting. The tight wrappings only made it worse, like somebody chafing his fur.

Why did he feel so nauseous?

It didn't matter. Sonic sat in his hammock, looking through his sunroof at the stars. He thickly swallowed, before sleep overtook him once more.

The next morning, he woke up very groggy. Sonic rolled out of his hammock and onto the floor, not bothering with wether the impact would hurt. It did. Groaning, the hedgehog picked himself up and leaned against a wall, sighing. He pressed a hand to his head, hoping it would alleviate some of the aching.

"Just a little longer, pal." Sonic told himself. "Just a little longer..."

Ignoring the dizzy feeling in the back of his eyes, Sonic began to prepare a breakfast sandwich. It tasted like mush, but he forced it down anyway. He sat uncomfortably after eating, the meal like a rock in the pit of his stomach. Running a hand through his quills, the teen grit his teeth. The prolonging pain was getting worse. Just as he expected.

For what would be the first of many times, he pressed a hand over his heart. A small whine escaped his lips.


	4. Unhealthy Habits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has been slightly edited since posting! Please don't be confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Attempted Self-Surgery w/ Knife

It's fine. The fact that he couldn't taste his Meh Burger was fine.

Sonic forced a smile as he chewed, the meaty substance feeling like wax on his tongue. Perhaps he could pick up one taste or two-the green of the lettuce, the spice of the ketchup-but it wasn't enough. 

He listened to Sticks drone on about how a coincidence proved one of her conspiracies. Something about ducks slowly being replaced with mechanical duplicates of themselves armed with gunpowder. Or, rather he tried to. It was hard with how tired.

The buzzing feeling behind his eyes would come on and off again, and he was unprepared every time.

Absentmindedly, he put a hand to his chest. The pains getting worse, he could tell. Slowly, but noticeably.

"Sonic!"

"Wha?" The hedgehog's eyes focused on a young fox sitting in front of him. He must have spaced out again. The conversation had noticeably switched over to him without his knowledge.

"I've been trying to get your attention for the last 15 seconds. You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"Eh." Sonic leaned back. "This food must be worse than usual. Can't even think with a _full_ stomach of it."

Tails nodded slowly. "Uh-huh. So I was wondering if you wanted to go see the new movie 'Bomb on a Bus'?"

Sonic cleared his throat. "Sounds great. What's it about?"

"Some guy plants a bomb on a bus and they have to disarm it before it explodes."

Sonic agreed to go see it. Maybe it would get his mind off this whole situation.

"Lucky for you, I just booked us the last two tickets." Tails pulled out two small slips of paper from his tool belt's pocket and waved them proudly. "It starts in a half an hour, so we need to get going! We'll need good seats." Tails rushed to stand and took Sonic by the wrist, dragging him out of the seating area. The ends of his sneakers bumped against the grainy wood.

"Okayseeyaguysbye!" Sonic said as the fox took off. Suddenly, he was on an adventure with Tails to go to the movies.

Unfortunately, it was opening day, and there was a long line of people here to see the film. Upon reaching the line and being forced to stand in it, Sonic tapped his foot. He was not excited to be bored. All he could think about was the pain boiling in his chest-

_Gotta focus on something else._

"Is it just me, or does the main guy look kinda like Shadow?" Sonic asked Tails. He pointed to the film's poster, where a black and red tenrec stood.

"He does, yeah." Tails smirked, then looked up at Sonic. "Sorry if I kinda yanked you away earlier. I'm just super excited for this movie. And I was also really happy you wanted to see it too!"

"Who am I to turn down an action flick?" Sonic smiled.

 _Maybe I can finally stop worrying._ The fox thought to himself.

 _I gotta be strong for my lil' bro._ The hedgehog said silently.

Slowly, the line moved closer to those platinum doors. On the way, Sonic ordered a bucket of popcorn. Oddly, despite his half-dead tastebuds, Sonic was extremely hungry for chow. And of course he was going to share with Tails, he wasn't evil.

After what felt likes weeks, they found a good spot and sat down. Sonic adjusted his seat for a more comfortable position. Just watch the movie, have fun with your little bro, it's the perfect distraction! As the final preview finished, the film began proper. Sonic set the bag of buttery corn in-between him and Tails, reaching for a piece.

_Just eat your popcorn like a normal person and nobody will suspect a thing._

Sonic tried to relax, even with his arms trembling.

"Pop quiz, hot shot." The villain spit into the speaker on his phone. "There's a bomb on that bus."

"Roll credits." Tails leaned over and whispered. Sonic couldn't help but chuckle amidst the hurting underneath his skin. He clawed at his fur, hoping nobody would notice his grimace in the dark.

_Stop, it hurts._

"If it blows up, what do you do. What do you do?"

"Ow..." Sonic grit his teeth together. _The pain's getting worse...getting worse..._

"45! Stay above 45!" The hero called out to the bus driver.

_Focusonthemoviedon'tfocusonthepainfocusonthemoviedon'tfocusonthepain-_

Something like a butcher knife cut through him.

He let out loud groan of pain. "Agh!"

Tails turned to him. "Sonic?"

"Quiet, down in front!" Somebody yelled.

Tails winced, and lowered his voice. "You okay?"

"Bit my tongue." Sonic winced and got up from his seat. "Gonna make sure it isn't bleeding." He scurried across the carpet floor and up the stairs, running into a hallway bathroom. When he finally had the peace and quiet he was seeking, Sonic succumbed to the affliction. He sat against the wall, gasping for air.

The last time he felt pain as bad as this...

Gingerly, he pulled away the gauze taped on his fur.

"No no _no_." Sonic bit his lip. The veins were noticeably longer, spreading over the left of his breast. "Ow. _Ow._ It's fine. Just go back inside and watch the movie. You're okay." He staggered to his feet. "Nobody's gonna see this in the dark anyway."

Just to be safe, he yanked his scarf down a little to hide the bandage.

He wandered back out into the theater, nearly teetering off course. The spike of agony had left him with a dizzying headache. He sat down, giving Tails a thumbs-up, and tried to enjoy the rest of their outing.

Sonic couldn't even remember how the film ended.

He felt horrible that he couldn't share in the kit's excitement over how the explosions were real, or the way they designed the bomb, or even a supposed Tommy Thunder cameo. His chest felt like nails were being slowly hammered into it.

"You okay?" Tails asked.

Sonic nodded. "You know I hate sitting in one place for too long." He elbowed Tails. "Anyway, that was fun. We'll do something again, yeah? Just us two?"

"Of course!" Tails' eyes sparkled. "What's a hero without his sidekick by his side?"

Sonic forced a smile, and sped back home. He tripped over the last porch step, landing with a nice bruise to his face. Sonic's nails gripped at the floor, and he let out a scream of agony.

_I can't make empty promises like that. I let him down. I'm just going to let everyone down. Just a little longer..._

He got on his knees, gripping his chest, another cry echoing across the waves. _It hurts. It hurts. It hurts._

Sonic had _had_ it.

He forced himself onto his feet, walking to the small kitchen counter he owned. Digging through one of the drawers, he pulled out a knife. Whatever the _hell_ was inside him right now, he was going to take it out _so help him_. 

Sonic ripped off his bandages and sat down, shaking. The dark source of his suffering seemed to _pulsate_ , mocking him. He wanted to throw up. He tried to calm his breathing. Just be slow and steady...like cutting off a vine wrapped around your leg. Gently, the blade touched the black.

Without warning or explanation, the tip of the knife bent upon contact. It was like a sheet of aluminum foil. Sonic lost his grip, and the knife clattered to the wooden floor. That shouldn't be possible. _Nothing_ should be that strong. Or at least nothing _apart_ of him.

Sonic angrily threw the useless blade across the room and tore off his gloves. He dug his nails into his own skin, trying to rip the damn thing off himself. One might akin the level of sudden pain to be burnt by a blow torch. However, Sonic was not about to give up now.

"Get off...it hurts! WHY WON'T YOU COME OFF?!"

His hands hurt. It became too much. Sonic let go with a yelp, fingers bloody. He sat panting, beads of sweat perspiring on his face. After a period of sitting there doing nothing, Sonic got up and washed his dirty hands, then threw the broken knife into the trash. He laid down in his hammock, unsure of what to do.

He could tell everyone about this predicament (that's light way of putting it), but then he would prove he'd been lying. Or what if they couldn't save him? He'd rather drop dead at that moment than leave his friends with the knowledge of his impending doom.

...If he was going to be honest, Sonic didn't even know if this thing was going to kill him. He didn't _care_. He was still hungry, even more tired, and just wanted to breathe. He didn't even bother to fear the nightmares at this point.

Ignoring the growling of his poor stomach, Sonic turned over and closed his eyes.


	5. I Can't Breathe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Throwing Up, Vomit

For the first time, Sonic dreamed of something that wasn't a horrifying flashback.

He was standing in front of that cylindrical machine, blood pounding in his ears. There was a muffled voice saying something, but he couldn't make it out.

Sonic cupped his hands around his mouth and tried to call out for it, but he could only manage a raspy groan. The voices only grew in number.

Emerald green eyes snapped open, and Sonic threw an arm over his forehead. A thought he had been dreading occurred to him.

What if Eggman came back and he was too weak to stop him?

Sonic gave himself a light slap to the cheek and hoisted his body out of the hammock. He stood on the beach, tapping the front of a shoe into the sand. Quietly, he set a timer on his watch. Pressing his knuckles to the gritty ground, Sonic took a deep breath. If he had any chance of stopping the next attack, he had to see how long he could go before he tired out. Just a simple run. That was all.

Sand and seashells went flying as he kicked off, gliding into a sprint. Blue light trailed behind him, the wind in his quills. The salty air filled his lungs, and individual objects he passed by were just blurs.

He could feel his heart pumping painfully, as though it might burst. Sonic let out a war cry and continued running. The world started to fade in and out, the number of trees suddenly doubling. He couldn't breathe. His throat burned and his eyes watered. Shaking, Sonic hesitated for a single step and threw off his entire balance, falling and rolling into the bark of a palm tree. 

The hedgehog gasped, weakly using the tree to help sit himself up. Dizzy, he looked at the timer, and saw he had only been going for _10 minutes_. That wasn't nearly enough time. Sonic stood shakily, and looked around. How far did he go, at least?

A giant fan sat to his left. A large workbench full of tools to his right. Sonic shook his head in disbelief, realizing he had crashed right by Tails' workshop.

As if on cue, the fox in question stepped out of the garage bay, and did a double-take upon seeing the dazed hedgehog. "Sonic?!"

"Tripped over a branch. Ran into a tree." He lied quickly. He was getting good at that lately. "What can I do ya for, lil' bro?"

"Actually, I'm glad you're here." Tails said. "I was about to call you and ask if you wanted to go to that one falafel place. Amy booked us a surprise lunch reservation!"

Lunch? Wait, then that meant...how long had he slept?! Sonic was known for taking big naps, but a nearly 10 hour long sleep without waking up at all was something that made him worry.

"Sure. I've always liked their patties."

A red echidna, a feral badger, and pink hedgehog were waiting for them on the other side of town. Knuckles waved happily when the two arrived. "Guys, you won't believe the prices they've got!"

"Really?" Sonic attempted to act interested.

"Yeah, but first, can I talk to you about something?" He stepped forward, hand reaching out towards Sonic's arm.

 _Don't panic, don't panic, it'll be fine._ "What's up?" 

Knuckles quickly pulled him aside. He scrunched up his nose, staring the blue blur down.

"I may be a dum-dum, but I'm also your friend and bro. And friends notice things. Bros too! Something's been off about you lately." The echidna admitted. "I tried to stay quiet about it but I worry too much! What's going on, are you sick?"

Sonic blubbered something nonsensical. Out of the entire group...Knuckles was the one to sniff out something was up? Or was Sonic just that bad at hiding it? Then again, Knuckles had a big heart, and he was more prone to realizing his friends' worries, and-

"Buddy?"

Sonic snapped back to reality.

"Knuckles, I think..." Sonic took a deep breath. He had to do this for their sanity. "I think we're all just a little paranoid. I'm alright."

Knuckles' gaze softened. "...You sure?"

"I promise." Sonic said with the warmest and fakest smile. "Don't worry about me, alright?"

Knuckles nodded, letting Sonic go. "Hard not to. Team Knuckles wouldn't be what it is without you, ya know."

Sonic narrowed his eyes at the "team knuckles" comment, then shrugged and gave the rad red a joking punch to the shoulder.

Amy was smart. She got them a nice table outside, where there was minimal noise and more room to move. Everyone got their personal falafel, with Sonic choosing the sandwich version. He took a sip of his water, forcing it down his throat, and leaned back in his chair.

Often Sonic would find himself bouncing his leg while waiting for their order. This time, however, he was so busy on trying not to scream from the aching in his lungs that he could barely move at all.

Although God seemed to be having a good day, because the delicious rolls of deep-fried fava beans and other nutrients came swiftly onto their table. Sonic couldn't help but drool at the sight of them, sandwiches and rolls all laid out for a feast. He picked up his ordered sandwich (extra mayo), and took a large bite to compete with his hunger.

Suddenly, Sonic felt like he was eating _lava_. He coughed and put a hand over his mouth. "Aw, geez, what did they put in these things?" The hedgehog asked with his mouth full.

"...Chickpea flower?" Sticks shrugged. "I dunno. Damn good though!"

"Sticks, language." Amy reminded the badger.

"What? It's a compliment!"

Sonic struggled to swallow his meal. Ugh. His tongue burned, and not in the good way with spices. It felt like he swallowed a pile of pebbles, and fought to keep them down.

"Berightbackbathroom!" Sonic said as quickly as he could and ran off, shutting the door and locking it. Even that little burst of speed had him short-winded. He leaned over the sink, trying to breathe. "Don't...it's fine..."

He felt the wound on his chest tighten, and Sonic nearly let out a scream. The only reason nobody heard it was because it was interrupted by a gag.

Sonic stumbled, coughing and hacking. He was really about to throw up. No, no, no, he didn't want to. There was nothing bad in him, right? The black veins on his skin, hidden only by a simple bandage, seemed to constrict and squeeze his throat until he did heave up his meal.

_IT HURTS!_

Sonic spotted a window, and reached for the latch, unlocking it. With the last of his strength, Sonic forced himself out the small opening and into the back of the shop. He felt something slimy and disgusting leave his mouth. Sonic got into a running stance and bee-lined for his shack.

_Just keep running ow it hurts just keep running ow_

Several times he had to stop and slow to keep breathing. It was like some kind of glitch, where your character would refuse to move and suddenly be in a full sprint a second later, rinse and repeat. The entire world looked like it was falling apart to him. He ignored any bystanders staring at him. He refused help from innocent folk who were concerned. He only talked to one person, asking for directions. After what felt like weeks, he collapsed on a familiar beach.

Sonic threw up.

His throat and stomach felt like they were burning. Sonic tried to catch his breath, to take a moment for air, but it was something akin to drowning. His precious meal was wasted, or at least what he managed to swallow of it. Another sudden wave of pain emerged, and Sonic fell to his side, breathing like a fish out of water. Hacking and coughing, Sonic let out a small sob.

Upon his chest, the darkened veins were obvious. They spread out from beneath the bandage, curling around his sternum and threatening to choke his neck. A few slithered over his left lung, like thorns overtaking an innocent animal.

His communicator beeped.

Sonic slowly got up, clutching his stomach. He wandered inside his house, taking off his scarf for yet another wash that week, and typed out a message to his friends.


	6. Flu Season

It was at that moment Tails received a text message from Sonic. He looked down at his communicator, ears visibly flopping down as he read it.

“Sonic says he got sick.” Tails read. “Something with the flu."

"That explains why he hasn't come back for the past 20 minutes." Amy said. "That being said, I'm glad he's okay. Well, being sick isn't okay, but at least he's not hurt or anything."

"Yeah." Tails nodded, looking at the half-eaten falafel sandwich left behind. "We shouldn't have to worry too much."

"Let's make him a care package!"

"...Why?"

"To show our love and support for him?" Amy explained. "We'll each make one part of it, and deliver it to him tomorrow!"

"Yes!" Knuckles stood up and agreed. "Can I be in charge of food?"

Amy remembered that one time when Knuckles was forced to cook for all of them, and shuddered. "I...already have a set plan in place for meals. I was thinking you should be in charge of the flowers!"

The echidna's eyes widened, accompanied by a small gasp. "I can do that." He said with a grin.

Tails swallowed the last of his meal. "I'll be in charge of making the get-well card!"

"And I'll bring 'em an age-old Badger family secret medicine!" Sticks said. "It's great for fevers."

"...Whats in it?" Tails asked.

"I'll never tell you. It's a secret, remember?" Sticks looked away and crossed her arms.

"Then it's a plan." Amy said, throwing a fist into the air. "Operation: Make Sonic Feel Better is a go!"

Meanwhile, Sonic awoke. He pushed himself off the ground, shaking. Sweat was pouring down his face, and he struggled to sit up properly.

_I want a bath._

It took him nearly 10 minutes to open the hatch and climb down the ladder without falling. Sonic continuously stopped to rest, hooking his arms around the bars and letting his feet dangle. 

Sonic turned the water on, letting his tub fill up with warm water. Pulling away his bandages and sports tape, Sonic settled into the bath, slightly pouty.

He could see the damage on his body. Like some spider thought it would be a great idea to do a self-portrait of itself on his fur. The water did little to alleviate the pain, and he felt sore.

Finally clean, Sonic pulled a blanket out from a drawer and wrapped it around himself. He hoped the ocean waves had already washed away his "mess" from earlier. Falling into his hammock, Sonic succumbed to the sleep he body craved but could never seem to find lately.

The entire next day was being devoted to the (healthy) team members collecting and creating the Care Package. They met up at Amy's house around 12:00 in the afternoon, proudly showing off their creations.

"So? What did you guys make?" Amy asked. On her coffee table, she set down an empty wicker basket with a blue ribbon on it.

"I made only the coolest of cards." Tails held out what looked like a old video game case, but with the initial paper printing replaced by one of Tails' own making. It read:

**GET WELL SOON: THE VIDEO GAME**

_**Team up with your friends to fight that flu!** _

"And the inside is a disc playlist full of his favorite songs!"

Everyone nodded and clapped for the fox' inventive idea. He smiled sheepishly and tucked it into the basket.

Knuckles held up a bountiful bouquet. It had a plethora of flowers of all different types: anthuriums, zinnias, camellias, azaleas, just to name a few. "To be honest, I couldn't decide wether I wanted to give him flowers or bake him something, so I did both! But I spent too much time assembling the flowers, so I had to buy some cookies from the store." He held up a bag of Apartmenthome Cookies™. "Trust me, they're very tasty!"

Amy pretended not to notice the crumbs around Knuckles' mouth. "Well, while we're on the subject of food, I tried my hand at some bagel chili dogs. They're small, cute, and absolutely delicious!" The pink hedgehog reached for the sizzling plate of mini-dogs on her counter, dumping them in a little bag, and setting it in the basket. Tails nearly reached for one, their smell was so alluring.

Everyone looked to the badger in the room.

Sticks just smiled smugly and slipped a small container into the basket. It was marked "Badger Ailment Drink - It Tastes Good". She gave everyone another smirk. "That'll fix him up in no time. Always worked for me when my parents did it!"

Everyone high-fived and decided to head on over to their sick friend's house. Amy stepped underneath the sunroof of the patio, lightly knocking on the doorframe.

“Sonic? We brought…oh.”

Amy gave a warm smiled when she saw the sleeping form of her team leader. She motioned for everybody to be quiet as they walked in, gently putting the gifts down near his bed. She glanced at the sink, which held a brown scarf covered in dish soap, then back to her comrade-in-arms.

Sonic laid still, curled up in his hammock with a blanket covering him. Every once in a while, an ear would twitch or a foot would kick.

"He's actually kinda cute like this." Tails whispered. Knuckles leaned forward, unsure if he wanted to wake him up or not.

Amy put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We'll have to talk another time. Let's leave him be."

"Mmm?" Sonic opened his eyes.

"Shoot, we woke him up!" Sticks yelped.

"Shh! Just be quiet and he should go back to sleep." Amy chuckled nervously. "Just keep resting Sonic, it's alright."

"...Mom?"

Amy blinked. "Uh..."

Chuckles emanated from the group. Tails had to bite his hand to keep from laughing.

"...rry."

"What's that?" Amy leaned in closer, an ear perking up.

"I wasn't..." Sonic was suddenly asleep once more. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and quietly left the shack. Tails lingered by the doorway for a moment, his namesake twitching, before following the others out.

Sonic fidgeted, then tore the blanket off with a yell. Chaos, he just wanted to tear his skin open at this point. Even in his own dreams it stayed vigilant. Noticing a glint in the corner of his eye, Sonic discovered the basket. Curious, he lifted it up onto his lap and burrowed through the contents.

A bag of tiny hot dogs wrapped in bread.

A dazzling bouquet and...Apartmenthome Cookies™?

A weird bottle full of something that he couldn't read with his head spinning like this.

And a video game.

Sonic groggily opened it and found a disc named "My Hero's Mixtape". He pulled it out and stared at it for a moment, and then noticed another piece of paper on the inside. He squinted, trying to make out the words...

_Love Tails, Amy, Knux, and Sticks, forever members of Team Sonic_

"...Aw."

But another whine of pain escaped him. It was so hard to think clearly right now. Distraction, distraction... Sonic reached over for his boombox and opened the top, slipping the disc inside.

His favorite song began to play.

"Heh."

Sonic smiled, a real, true smile, for the first time in days. He set the gift basket down, planning to eat those snacks when he didn't feel so nauseous, and laid back. Closing his eyes, he swayed along with the music.

Later that evening, Amy knocked on Eggman's door. The doctor opened it, grumbling. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

Amy held out the Ancient tablet.

"I don't expect you to help me, but I have to try. I've been trying to translate the words in this document, but nothing's coming up. I'm out of options. The only other person as well versed in the Ancients as I am would be you."

Eggman seemed to actually consider this. To her pleasant surprise, he took the tablet from Amy and opened it up, studying the digital scrawls. "I can't make lick of this." He said after a few minutes. "But there is a cave I've visited that has similar writing to this."

"Really?" Amy perked up. "Where?"

"To the north of Mount Safety. ...Anyway, why are you so adamant on translating this? It could be a pizza recipe for all I know." He tossed the artifact back into the pink researcher's hands.

"Something in my gut tells me I'm gonna need the information it has." Amy shrugged. "Why are _you_ willing to help me?"

"Well, we're not exactly fighting right now, are we? I'm off-duty." The doctor winked behind his glasses and closed the entrance to his volcanic lair. Amy smiled, and turned to ride the rental boat back to the mainland.


	7. Give Me Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Vomit and Blood

"Well, here's the cave." Amy stated proudly. She took off her hiking gear and set down her backpack. "Let's get to work."

Lining the walls were semi-radiant cave drawings. Amy recognized a few, and could even read some. However, she noticed many of the messages were unintelligible and resembled the shapes on her tablet. Eggman was right. If he wasn't her sworn enemy, she'd owe him her life.

Kneeling down to inspect the closet odd message, Amy pulled the tablet from her bag and opened it up. If she could compare the different kinds of writing here in this cave, it could be possible to decipher the language entirely.

Most of the readable messages were simple graffiti. "Heidi was here". "Diamond mine 4 miles north". "Long live happiness". Others said "Joan please ___ has ___", or "Nice ___ brick and ___ tired". She took photos with a camera, the flash lighting the cave white.

"Ahem."

Amy turned and nearly died, right there, out of fear.

Standing just inches from her, and looked quite pissed off, was Shadow the Hedgehog.

The beachside waves gave off a quiet ambience that suited Sonic's mental state right then.

He sat on his porch, lidded eyes staring off into the horizon. He just wanted to be at peace, but sleep was suddenly difficult to find. The salty air filtered through his quills.

He was so damn tired.

The infection had spread faster. Now it covered nearly half his torso in lines of black.

Grunting, Sonic gradually stood up. He fished for a tall cup in the kitchen drawer. Filling it up with tap, he placed it on the counter, and gently put the bouquet of flowers into it. He recognized it as Knuckles' gift. Who else was able to find white azaleas this time of year?

Even that small act of decorating left him heaving. He glanced out the window. A brown scarf fluttered on the clothesline outside, the hedgehog not bothering to wear it. It wouldn't cover up the veins anyway.

_I only have a week before people get suspicious. I usually recover after 3-5 days._

Sonic ran a hand down his face. Bloodshot emerald eyes bore a hole vacantly into the grained wood. His hands shaking, another feeling of agony tearing through him. Sonic tried to keep steady, but it was nigh unbearable. He wanted to throw up. But he didn't have time to trek all the way down his ladder to the toilet. Instead, Sonic slowly walked out to the sea and puked up the mini-chili-dogs Amy had so thoughtfully made for him.

His own tears mixed with the salty waves. Disgusted, Sonic slunk back to his porch and resumed his original position of just sitting and existing.

This was his routine.

What would his friends think, if they visited again and found his dead body on the porch? He had to go "missing", to give them some semblance of hope that he'd be okay. But that would be cruel. He didn't want to leave anyway. Part of him wanted to die surrounded by the people he loved most.

Yes, he had already accepted it. Whatever was inside him was clearly going to kill him.

He wanted to cry, to beg for his life, but he found it hard to even breathe. His chest was constricted, like snakes had coiled themselves around his ribs. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt. More pain surged through his system. He wanted Tails, he wanted Knuckles, he wanted Amy, he wanted Sticks. But he couldn't handle hurting them.

"Please..." He croaked out. Maybe somebody was listening? He didn't know. But what else could he do? Asking the sky for mercy was his only option.

Sonic couldn't even smell the flowers.

"I'll ask you this only once." Venom dripped from Shadow's voice. "What the _hell_ are you doing in my cave?"

"Research." Amy said quickly. Then she did a mental backtrack and sputtered " _Your_ cave?!"

"Yes. I live here." Shadow's expression grew darker. "Now get out before I do it myself."

"I...I can't." Amy said, standing up. Her knees were shaking, but she had to do this. "I need to know what's on these walls."

"You're standing in front of a paragraph detailing how the author got laid." Shadow said. "Is that all?"

Amy whipped her head around, pink quills flying. That's what she was looking at so intently?! Oh geez, she felt so embarrassed. What other disturbing and personal information was written in here?

Wait a second.

"You can read that?" Amy pointed to the paragraph. Shadow nodded curtly. She was about to ask how, but his glare forced her into silence.

"I'm giving you ten seconds to go before I throw you out."

"N-no! Wait!" Amy put her hands up. "Just translate one more thing for me! Then I promise I'll leave you alone!"

An ear flicked to the side. "What?"

Amy took the tablet she had dropped to the ground and held it out. "Please. I just need to know what this says. No matter how obscure."

Shadow took it, eying Amy with caution. His ruby eyes looked down to the tablet, and he activated it. For a moment, he scanned the device, before his expression morphed into one of horror.

In one swift move, he had Amy in a chokehold, pinning her against the wall. He held up the artifact like some piece of evidence for a crime case. Amy saw rage, and an emotion she never had seen on him. Fear.

"Tell me where you found this."

Miles away, Sonic was screaming, and he couldn't even hear himself do it.

The pain was so strong this time, it somehow affected his hearing. It was like somebody had stuffed cotton in his ears and then began yelling sporadically. He tripped, knocking over the vase of flowers. His head spun, the "yelling" getting louder. Almost like a cascade of different voices. Of course, Sonic knew it was only the blood pounding in his ears. Nobody was really talking to him.

Either that, or he was finally going insane from all this.

He looked over and saw the broken glass, and the fallen petals scattered on the floor.

Back in the cave, Amy kicked her legs, trying to separate herself from Shadow's iron grip. "Not...not until you...show me what's on it!" She pleaded.

"I said TELL ME!" Red energy began to spark from his eyes, and his glove grew hot around her neck. Amy gasped, tears pricking the corners of her forest-green eyes.

"A...south...cave...site...destroyed..."

Shadow let her go.

Amy dropped to the ground, wheezing. She put a hand around her neck, feeling a nice bruise beginning to form. Shadow bent down, and snapped his fingers to get her attention. "Here's what it says." He reopened the tablet and started reading off it.

As Amy listened, her expression changed to one of confusion, then curiosity, then horror. Shadow ignored her pleas for him to stop reading it. _She understood,_ she said, _she got the message._ But the ebony hedgehog clearly didn't think so. When he finished the entire document, he stared at an absolutely horrified Amy.

"I..." Amy wanted to throw up. "I feel sick."

"You should be. Now, you're going to tell me everything that happened in that site."

Now it was Shadow's turn to be terrified by the story. As Amy slowly explained what they found, to the smell and the initial cave collapsing, to Sonic surviving the rubble, Shadow looked very...unresponsive.

"...Shadow?"

His jaded eyes stared blankly into the floor.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." He said quietly. "Leave. I need to figure this out."

He took the tablet and stowed it away in a corner somewhere. Quietly, Amy repacked her belongings and started the trek home. It was nearly sunset. She turned for just a moment to stare at Shadow, then left for good.

At the same time, Sonic found himself in a coughing fit. He couldn't breathe. The veins were taking up more of his body-now his entire chest was covered, all the way up to his neck. They branched out, swiping at his shoulders and back.

He managed to plead "help" in-between coughs, but nobody was around to hear him. His lungs felt congested, like they'd been filled with some disgusting metallic substance.

Then he felt something lodge in his airway. _No no no._ He choked, unable to breathe, before hacking out a blob of...something. Something red, squishy, and pooling on the ground.

Sonic touched his lips, and his glove came away a deep red. His...blood. He just coughed up his own blood.

He fell to the floor, unconscious. As he laid there, more of it pooled from his mouth, his body sporadically jerking.


	8. I'm Begging You, Help Me

Shadow didn't bother to knock, instead rudely letting himself inside Amy's home. The pink hedgehog screeched, dropping the cup of tea she was about to have. "Shadow! What-what are you doing in my house?!"

Shadow ignored her, tossing a pile of papers scrawled with notes onto her desk. "Read this."

Amy frowned, but picked up the first sheet anyway. She knew exactly what is was going to say; Shadow had written down a transcript of the tablet's documents. She was correct, already feeling a nasty nausea forming in the pit of her stomach. She placed it back onto her desk with the others. "Um. Thanks."

Shadow crossed his arms. "You know as well as I do. Sonic is in danger."

"No." Amy said. "He's fine. He just has the flu."

Shadow almost laughed. "Really? That's what the dumbass told you?"

"Don't call him that." Amy growled.

"You have to open up your eyes. He is going to die if we don't do something."

"No he's not. Sonic wouldn't lie to me about something like that. He was injured, and got sick. He's recovered, and we're going to visit him later, where we'll find out that he's perfectly fine and he probably forgot to charge his communicator again. End of story."

The two stared intently at one another for a few minutes. Shadow then let out a dry laugh. "Alright. Believe your petty lies." He stood up. "But don't be so surprised when I end up being right."

In a flash of light, he was gone. Amy glanced at the papers one last time, and noticed a flurry of numbers written at the top of the first page. She sighed, knowing what it was for, and logged it into her messaging system. Disdained, the teen looked out her window, in the direction of a familiar shack. The ground rumbled, and she went to fetch her hammer.

_Sonic was in that room again. The stench was blinding. The colors on the machine popped, making his vision dance._

_He could hear a chorus of voices._

_"What are you saying?." He mouthed. "What does it mean?"_

_He tried standing up, but his body had gone slack. He was glued there, forced to watch the rippling paint on the machine churn into a disgusting set of shades. He opted to breathe through his mouth, but the smell was so strong it still irritated him greatly._

_The veins crawled along his skin, pulsating. Sonic wanted to take them off, but they stayed put. He felt like he was covered in eels. What kind of existence was this? Certainly, not one he wanted to keep continuing. There had to be a way back to normal._

_But alas. He had been frozen in time, forced to stare at that damn machine, forever taunting him with it's claws hanging brightly in front of him. This scene, this experience went on for so long. A few seconds had stretched into years. The voices never stopped, bombarding his ears with nonsensical messages, penetrating his skull and making a racket in his brain. Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up-_

Lazily, Sonic opened his eyes. His bloodied hand and beeping communicator came into view. Sonic took a brief moment to glance around the room, still blurry, before answering the call with a weak touch of his finger.

"Sonic, oh thank God you answered!"

"...Ames?"

"Eggman's attacking!"

"What?"

"I've been trying to contact you for the last ten minutes!"

That stupid no-good doctor was attacking his friends. His home. He had to help them, save them. After all, what did he have left to lose? He was as good as dead already. Or, perhaps the decision to help his friends in this state was influenced by the massive blood loss. Whatever the case, Sonic yanked his red glove off and pushed himself up with a forearm. The floor was a deep red, stained with his own sticky blood. The sun was high in the sky, clearly not the position he last remembered it being in. How long had he been out?

Right. Eggman. Sonic stood, shaking, and pushed everything to their limit, a small boom echoing across the oceanside. Dry flower petals flew around like a hurricane, heavy winds marking the tracks of the dying hero. He was tired. He was hungry. Everything hurt. The last thing he needed was some wannabe villain wrecking the town and endangering his friends' lives. So, if he was gonna go out, he was gonna do it with a bang.

Surging past trees, rocks, and into town, Sonic ignored the cheers of the villagers and the relieved faces of his friends. He sped past motobugs and crabmeats and beebots and began to circle the familiar egg-shaped shadow in the air. Doing this allowed Sonic to build up his speed. While he kicked up a storm of dust, realization sunk in. This was it, wasn't it? There were so many things he wanted to do. Make up with Shadow. learn how to cook. Become faster than light. He never even got to say goodbye. To Amy. To Tails. To Knuckles. To Sticks.

Maybe that was for the best. He didn't want to see them cry.

Sonic used the built-up force to run to the edge of town, then back to the center, and launch himself through the air. Sonic aimed for the doctor. _It all ends here, Egghead._

Eggman didn't even get the chance to yell in terror when a streak of blue burst through the Eggmobile, leaving a large hole from where he dashed. The doctor was knocked to the ground, barely caught by his lackeys, Orbot and Cubot. Bruised and defeated, he scrambled for a retreat, recalling all the remaining troops. The useless floating vehicle fell to the dirt with a clang.

Sonic didn't stop on his own. He crashed into a building, slumping down onto the grass. 

"Sonic! That was amazing! Talk about a good recovery..." Tails ran up to his friend, slowing down when he saw his limp form. "...Sonic?" He walked closer, noticing something was off about him. His fur was unusually matted. His scarf was gone. His sports tape wasn't even applied, and he was missing a glove. Tails got to his knees and shook him. "Hey, wake up!"

Sonic didn't respond.

A high-pitched wail resounded throughout the village. People began to panic. What was going on? Why wasn't Sonic getting up? He had won, hadn't he?

"No no no..." Amy muttered to herself, turning his body over. She found herself unable to breathe upon seeing the mass of black lines coating his skin. _Just like Shadow said._

"What the hell is that?" Sticks asked. "Hey, hey! What the hell is that!?"

"Wake up!" Knuckles yelled. "WAKE UP! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"

"W-we don't have much time." Amy stammered. "Knuckles, help me carry him to Tails' workshop. I'm going to contact Shadow."

"What?" The fox asked, his voice hoarse from screaming.

"I hate to say it, but I know what's going on now, and Shadow is the only one who can save him."

Shadow did his best to erase some of the scrawls on the cavern walls, when his brand-new communicator beeped. Picking up the device, he read the new message.

_From: AMY ROSE_

_you were right_

_please help us_

There was an address below.

"Idiot." Shadow muttered. He latched the communicator around his wrist and sped off.


	9. Imprisoned in My Own Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood Transfusion, Horror Elements

Shadow opened the door to the workshop, his face stoic. He walked towards the table Knuckles had set Sonic on. He set down a notebag full of items and fished around in it, pulling out a tube, a small plastic bag, and a syringe.

"We can't trust him!" Sticks argued, trying to launch herself at the "intruder".

"He's our only option, none of us know how to help Sonic!" Amy said, her voice raised. She did her best to hold the badger back.

"Shut up. Let me work." He said coldly. He connected the end of the tube to the little plastic bag, and the other end to the syringe. He stuck it in his arm, and a gentle flow of red blood began pouring into the bag.

"Let's leave him be." Amy said firmly, not sure if she could stomach watching the transfusion anyway. "We'll be outside if you need us, okay?"

Shadow didn't answer. He was transfixed on the bloodwork he was doing.

As soon as she got everyone out and closed the door, Knuckles broke down in tears. The echidna dropped to the ground, weeping.

"Knuckles? Knuckles, what's wrong?"

"Is...is he dead?"

"No. Sonic isn't dead. Shadow is actually keeping him alive right now-"

"I don't trust him! He's gonna kill Sonic!" Knuckles angrily interrupted. "I don't want him to die, Amy, I don't want him to die!"

"He's not going to!"

"He's my family!" Tears streaked down his muzzle, and Knuckles lost it, pounding the ground with a fist. "I don't...I...he said he'd be okay! He _promised_!"

Amy took a deep breath, trying to hold back the flood of tears she held too. "Sonic was just being stupid. He wasn't thinking straight."

Sticks had shut down. She sat a little ways away from the group, drawing in the sand with a finger. And Tails...

Tails was not with them.

Inside, the fox silently observed Shadow working to save Sonic from the brink of death. After he filled the bag to it's limit, Shadow poked the end of the tube into Sonic's own arm, allowing the new RBC to flee into his bloodstream and make up for the mass amount he had lost. Shadow bandaged up his own arm and then looked at Tails. "What?"

"How do you know what you're doing is right?"

"I've seen this before." He said. "It was centuries ago."

"Ex _cuse_ _me?_ "

"I've been around for a long time, fox. I've seen what this infection can do. I can keep him alive, but I don't know how to stop it entirely."

"How do I know this isn't just a trick to kill him yourself? I know you hate Sonic."

"I _dislike_ him. That's not the same." Shadow stated. "Wether or not we're enemies, I am not about to let this infection kill somebody again."

"...Right." Tails crossed his arms. "So you know everything, huh? Then tell me how it works."

"Once I get Sonic stable. I'll tell all of you."

Time passed in an unfamiliar manner. Sonic awoke on a mattress.

He had died, right? Was this Heaven? ...Heaven sure looked a lot like Tails' House. He turned his head to the side, where a glum-looking Tails sat next to him. He noticed Sonic was conscious, and sniffed. His eyes...they were red and puffy.

"How long?" Tails asked weakly.

"What?" His voice was barely a whisper.

"How long has this been going on? How long have you been hurting?" He reiterated.

Sonic hesitated to answer. He leaned back in his bed and quietly said "Since...we visited the...cave."

A wrench nearly hit him in the face. It embedded itself in the wall, having been thrown by a seething fox. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!" He cried. "WHY DID YOU LIE?!"

"I..." Sonic stammered. "I...didn't want...to hurt you." Sonic realized he was not, in fact, dead, but facing the cold hard truth of reality.

Tails sobbed, turning away. The door opened, revealing his friends and...Shadow, of all hedgehogs, trailing behind. Sonic narrowed his eyes, wanting to say something, but his throat protested. Tails stood up and walked to the wall adjacent to Sonic, leaned against it. He wiped away his tears and assumed a straight face.

"Well. He's up. Spill it Shadow. What have you done to him?!"

" _Tails._ " Amy chided.

"First of all, I ought to clarify that I was born nearly 2,017 years ago." Shadow began. "I've lived for a _long_ time."

"Where's the proof?" Knuckles growled. His body was tense, ready to jump the ebony hedgehog at a moment's notice.

"He's the only one who can read the tablet I found." Amy explained. "It was a language nearly lost to time, but since Shadow was there when it was written, he could decipher it."

Shadow gave her a small nod of approval. "I will be curt. Sonic, you are dying. You've been given an ancient infection that was supposed to be locked away and quarantined until the end of time, but you _fools_ decided it would be a great idea to go spelunking in there instead." He grit his teeth, spines bristling. "If it was anything else, I could care less. But since Sonic was infected by _that_ , the entire world could be destroyed in a matter of months."

"I thought you'd be okay with that." Tails muttered. "Considering the fact you, I dunno, tried to end the multiverse that one time?"

"Not. Like. This." He said. "It's one thing to snap out of existence painlessly. It's another to endure the agony of a virus that knows nothing except feed, multiply, and repeat, until everything is _it_!"

Tails' eyes narrowed. "Does 'it' have a name?"

Shadow's eyes glazed over for a moment before answering. " _Formachina lactentumortum_. The Death Machine Organism."

"Cheery." Sticks commented.

"Far from it." Shadow said. "It's a biologically mutated bacteria. One day it attached itself to a victim, and slowly it took them for it's own. It controlled the body, and could even reform it into whatever shape it desired. It used this to prey on unsuspecting peoples. Naturally, the population could quickly tell the difference between a living person and one infected by the Death Machine. So it evolved, becoming something nobody would suspect. An object. It's form depended on the situation.

"As it learned, it's strategy changed. Instead of killing it's prey on the spot, it tainted them with a single dormant drop of itself, fully waking after a day, and feeding off their life-force for more sustenance until there was just enough left for the victim to return to the machine. They would be absorbed into it, including whatever was left of their consciousness, allowing it to grow bigger, smarter, and stronger. The infected had their identity merged into it, creating some unnatural hivemind. It could split off pieces of it to infect others and then return. It could have wiped out humanity and mobiankind as we know it.

"However, The Ancients finally managed to find the source of the Machine, where the bacteria resided, and seal it away. They managed to isolate the abundant split chunks as well, reducing it's power. They killed anybody who was infected, and lost thousands. They won the war. That is until you reawakened it from it's dormant state, and got yourself infected!" He jutted a finger at Sonic, infuriated.

"Wait, wait." Tails said. "It...absorbs it's victims?"

"Did I not make that clear? Yes."

Everyone connected the dots. The monstrosity of the machine. The swirling alloy in all shades of ore. The horrific stench. It all came together...

It was made from the bodies of the infected.

Tails nearly fainted. Amy already knew of this, but turned away in disgust anyway. Knuckles wasn't sure how to react. And Sticks...well, she let out a flurry of noises and curled into a small ball, rocking.

Sonic looked down at his hands, and started to panic.

_I'm going to be one of those corpses. If what Shadow says is true, I'm gonna be taken over by this...thing, and become part of it, and help it infect more people. Or worse, help it find the missing pieces of itself. My failure, my stupid dumb failure, is going to be the reason life on Mobius would cease to exist._

And with that, he screamed.


	10. Kill Me Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Suicidal Phrases
> 
> (This chapter has been edited since posting. Don't be confused!)

It was like hearing the collective screams of the damned.

Sonic kicked off the blanket, his hands tearing at his blackened fur. The veins had spread to the tips of his thighs by now, and crawled over his shoulders. He convulsed, screaming and crying. Tears streaked down his muzzle, tormented cries filling the room.

"No! Sonic, calm down!" Amy put her hands on his upper arms, careful not to touch the veins. "You're not dying right now! We're going to find a way-"

He response was to scream louder. His gaze was not in their reality anymore. He was inconsolable, reduced to a young child who knew nothing of how to properly display their wants and needs. Knuckles couldn't take it anymore and broke into another quiet cry. Tails covered his ears, trying to block out the screams of his brother.

Shadow strode over, pushing Amy away, and gave Sonic a firm slap to the face. That shut him up. Now that he had his attention, he held his chin up with one hand.

"Listen to me. You're not dying. You're not going to be killed. You are going to be kept alive, and you are going to be cured, no matter what it takes."

Sonic stared into Shadow's red eyes before losing all focus. He fell limp, breathing shakily.

"...He's lost it." Shadow said, almost in a mournful tone.

"Maybe you shouldn't have _slapped_ him!" Amy berated.

"I panicked! I didn't know what else to do!" Shadow yelled back. "I...I...I need time." He swallowed thickly, glaring, then activated his jets and skated out of the room.

Amy finally let down all her walls and cried. She fell to her knees and leaned over the bed, bawling. Sticks had turned nearly feral, crouching down on all fours and rocking in a slow motion.

Knuckles looked up. Whimpering, he walked over, and wrapped up Sonic in a hug. No words were exchanged. Sonic just laid limply in his hold, shaking.

_We're here._

Shadow walked into Tails' garage, ignoring the rusty chainsaws swaying above him. He slammed a fist down on a metal workbench, denting it far beyond use. He had no idea how to stop this thing. The only way out was death, the same way the Ancients did it. The killing of the host before re-assimilation rendered that patch of the virus completely dormant. If they killed Sonic, all they had to do was seal off the cave they found it in and the problem was solved.

But his death was not acceptable.

More red energy began to fizzle around him. Shadow measly swatted it away. Balling it up in his fist, he let loose a stream of it above his head, hitting the hanging chains and releasing whatever tools they held. They clattered into a heap on the floor.

The only other way would be to kill the core of the Death Machine. But the Ancients had tried that before and failed. Bullets, bombs, fire, ice, acid. It bounced back one way or another, in ways the Ancients never understood. It seemed to have a million back-up plans.

"Damn it."

Sonic stared down at the sheets. Knuckles was still holding onto him. At this point, Sticks had curled up on the edge of the bed, and Tails was sitting next to him.

"You need to kill me."

"No!" Amy said. "That isn't an option!"

"I'm going to hurt you."

"N-no you won't. I'll make sure of it."

Sonic didn't seem to hear her. He began muttering quietly, about how he was going to die anyway and how he was a liability to them.

Amy saw the creeping veins on his skin and shuddered at the thought of how bad it was _underneath_. She reached for his hand, entwining her fingers with his. Tails rested his head on Sonic's shoulder. Sticks reached for his leg, it's shape hidden under the sheets, and pat it gently.

Shadow returned to find the group having fallen asleep around their friend. How horrible. Because of their friendship, they had to suffer a thousand times more than if it were only a single person. He glanced at Sonic, eyes sunken and breath trembling.

He walked slowly to the side of the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping echidna hanging off the edge of it. Tentatively, he reached a hand out to Sonic's forehead, caressing it gently.

Sonic seemed to relax slightly.

That was enough for Shadow. He walked to Tails' couch and sat himself down on it, pondering his next move.

Night passed by. Morning came. Sticks was the first to wake up. She looked sadly at her broken friend before hopping off the bed's edge and heading for the door. She had an idea, one that was foolproof. Quietly turning the doorknob, she noticed the red and black hedgehog on the couch, his form perfectly still. She took the time to shoot him a dirty look before leaving on the errand.

Sticks walked along the pathway, Tails' workshop becoming a small dot in the distance and the beach waves roaring closer. She found what she was looking for-Sonic's shack, empty and lame.

She stomped up the steps and was greeted by a disturbing sight.

The floor was covered in blood. Red tracks and handprints marked a spot where Sonic _must_ have collapsed in his own bile. A vase had been knocked over, glasswork shattered, and dried flowers littered the floor. A sense of heavy unease filled the air.

Sticks didn't bother with the mess, finding the gift basket she and her friends gave him. All the items had been opened; except her bottle. Under normal circumstances, she'd feel hurt that Sonic didn't trust her, but right now she was relieved there was an abundant amount. She snatched it, tucking it in a pocket, and scurried back to Tails' place.

The fox in question yawned, sitting up from where he had slept. His fur was bent in all the wrong directions, and he fluffed it up. Sonic's eyes fluttered open, dazed and confused. He did recognize the little kit next to him however.

"Tails?"

The fox stopped mulling over his fur and placed a hand on Sonic's shoulder. "Morning buddy."

"I..." He swallowed. "Where am I?"

"You're at my house. Shadow saved you after you stopped Eggman yesterday."

"...Huh." Sonic pondered this for a moment. Faint memories came flooding back, and he hung his head low. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We're gonna find a way to fix this."

"I can't feel my left arm."

"...That's probably because Knuckles has been sleeping on it for the past 10 hours." Tails couldn't help but crack a smile.

Sonic didn't laugh. He nudged the echidna awake, Knuckles blearily squinting at his teammates. Once he realized where he was and that yesterday was not a dream, he gave Sonic a rather gentle pat on the head. "I've got you, bro."

He looked away with a sodden expression, and blood began to trickle from his mouth.

The house shook from Sticks slamming the door open. "I have the cure!" She announced. Just as everyone began to panic from Sonic's hemoptysis, she popped open the cap and held it out to the hedgehog. "You gotta drink this! Trust me!"

" _Out_ of my _way_!" Shadow yelled, pushing the frightened team members aside and nearly spilled the precious contents of Sticks' miracle drug. Ignoring the bloody mess on the snow white satin, he pulled out a towel, covering Sonic's mouth with it. "Breathe through your nose. Slowly."

"Shadow, how do we stop the bleeding?!" Amy asked.

"I don't _know_!"

"Well if we don't try something Sonic's gonna be coughing up half his volume in blood!" Sticks yelled. She held out the drug. "Make him drink this."

"Some herbs and a few family sayings won't help at all!" Shadow hissed.

"Well then, what's your bright idea?! Because right now all you're doing is keeping the floor clean!"

Shadow went quiet, his eyes burning a hole into the autumn-colored badger. But she stood her ground, the drug in a firm grip.

Wordlessly, Shadow grabbed it, then looked to Sonic. "Can you hear me?"

Sonic weakly nodded.

"I'm going to give you something that...may help. I want you to swallow, alright?"

And with that, Shadow removed the towel and tipped the bottle into his mouth.


	11. Plant Matter

Sonic choked for a moment on the foul-tasting medicine, but swallowed as per Shadow's instructions. He gasped, trembling, his chin soaked red. Everyone waited breathessly to see if it worked.

"...Shadow, you're holding me too tight." He said hoarsely. "Let go."

"He's gonna be okay!" Tails cried.

Shadow frowned and let the azure hedgehog fall back into the cushions. "What is in that?" He asked, wiping Sonic's bloody mouth like a mother would do to their child.

"I won't tell you." Sticks huffed. "It's a secret family recipe passed down from badger to badger."

She stood firm on her feet, despite the immense glare Shadow was giving her. When it became clear she wasn't going to relent, Shadow gave a small "tch" and left the room, bloody towel still in hand. Amy's gaze followed him until he was out of sight, and then she walked over to Sonic. "How do you feel?"

"Uh..." He furrowed his brows. "Like crap." His voice was so scratchy and tired.

"You still think the answer to all this is death?"

Sonic didn't answer, but he did look her in the eye for the first time that day. "I'm probably going to throw it up, but...do you have any food?"

Tails snapped his fingers. "I have snacks in the fridge." In the chaos, he had forgotten that Sonic hadn't properly eaten for nearly an entire day. A cucumber sandwich seemed healthy enough, and he didn't think Sonic cared for taste at the moment. Gratefully, the hedgehog accepted the sandwich.

"Thank you," he muttered quietly.

After some angry rummaging, Shadow pulled out Tails' whiteboard and began writing down all the organism's strengths. 

_1\. The hivemind core, a.k.a the original strain, had evolved to survive extreme temperatures, rendering melting and liquid nitrogen useless._

_2\. Each strain it created could record and deliver information back to the original, continuing it's evolution._

_3\. The created strains were strong enough to suffer attempted mutilation._

_4\. The core was smart. It would not fall for their tricks._

_5\. Even though it was (theoretically) possible to kill it if it was attached to a sacrificial host alone, the process of doing that was near-impossible. It understood that was a situation that could kill it, and that is why it holed itself up in the mass of it's victims' corpses in the first place. Using pawns to collect energy for it's continued survival._

It's only few weaknesses was that 1) split-off strains, or "individual hosts", were not as strong as the original, and it died when the host died, 2) The copies it created were not exact in power and defense, and 3), the oddest of them all; it could not infect plant cells.

So, what could they even do? How could they destroy the core? It was the only way without killing Sonic.

For the first time, the blue hedgehog felt better. Munching on the sandwich, he could breathe somewhat easier. His muscles and bones didn't feel so sore. Even his voice was returning, clearer and coherent. Whatever was in that miracle cure Sticks had, it was _working_.

However, it wasn't working to stop the embarrassment of having his friends constantly babying him. Even though he could barely stand on his own, it was still infuriating to be given a cup of water instead of grabbing it himself. He was actually happy Knuckles and Sticks could have stayed instead of having to go save the village again. He didn't need them seeing this.

"You really don't have to do this." He said, shakily handing the glass back to Amy.

"I want to, Sonic." Amy said. "You're my friend."

"But I kept all this from you, I nearly-"

"Shush." She interjected. "That's all in the past now." Amy smiled, a pained smile, and wrapped him up in a hug. She didn't do it for long, since she knew Sonic didn't care much for physical touch, but was surprised to find him attempting to hold her as well.

"P-please don't go." He said softly. Screw his stupid self-conscious feelings. After shutting himself off from everyone for nearly a week, he was touch-starved.

"...Okay. I'll stay as long as you need."

"Don't tell anybody."

"I won't."

Sonic let her stay with him for three more minutes before letting go. He winced, fingers clutching the sheets. His ears flopped down, again flat against his skull.

"Sonic?"

" _It's nothing_ " he began to say, before correcting himself and nodding. "Pain. It's coming back." He sucked in air through his teeth. "Gah..."

She put a hand on his head, trying to rub through his quills to calm him down. It was a trick that working for nearly all hedgehogs, including herself. However, his spines still stood on end as the pain spiked to incredible heights, an agonizing screech resonating through the house and reaching the workshop. Shadow, still inside, heard it and snapped the marker in half.

He cursed, shaking the dripping ink to the floor.

The door opened, and Tails walked in. "Need help?"

Shadow glared. "Get out."

"It's my workshop." The fox reminded him. "And I will use everything in here against you." He growled, fur standing on end. "Now. I see you're failing to come up with a plan. Maybe I can weigh in on it?"

Shadow walked up to him. The ebony hedgehog was at least twice the height of the little kit, and it didn't help that his spines had flared out in an act of dominance. His fists clenched, heat emanating from his palms, and he stared right into Tails' soul.

Despite scared as all get out, Tails stood his ground.

"Alright." Shadow raised a brow, and mockingly presented his whiteboard to him. 

"...Well, if it's weakness is plant matter, we can always use that as a shield."

"And how the hell is that going to work, fox?" Shadow grunted. "If you're forgetting, it can reconfigure it's form. Measly shields of bark and leaves will do nothing against it's blades and pile-bunkers!"

"Well, it's something. Or do you have any better ideas?!"

The two were interrupted by a soft knocking on the wall. Amy stood there, waving gently. "I'm heading home for the night. I'll be back in the morning to help watch over Sonic. Who's asleep, by the way." Amy said. Her tone had a hint of melancholy in it. "Shadow, I trust that you can...?"

"Yes." He said quietly. He'd take care of the sick pineapple that night while Tails got rest. Shadow never needed sleep as badly as the others. The evening sun was setting, and Amy was no longer in the room with them.

Now understanding Sonic was alone in Tails' house, the two rushed over to make sure nothing bad had happened in the meantime. Tails poked his head into Sonic's little corner, checking on his sleeping form. However, no such thing existed in the room at that time.

The hedgehog was wide-awake.

Sonic was clearly in some drunken daze. His eyes were glazed over, and he was completely still. Tails noticed Sonic's ears were swiveling like small radars, flicking and turning to certain noise. Noise...that he could not hear. Odd. Tails had better hearing than Sonic, so why couldn't he make out the supposed sounds too?

"Hey Sonic?" Tails tried to get his brother's attention, but he didn't respond. He saw his lips were making slight movements. "Sonic?"

"...to cave understand survival yes forests mowed down everything us this body nearing limit nourishment great..." He mumbled.

"Sonic!" Tails snapped his fingers in front of his face, prompting the tired hedgehog to whip his head upright.

"Huh?"

"Sonic, you were freaking me out. You kept saying a bunch of odd stuff." Tails' namesakes bristled. "Mind explaining it to me?"

"My head hurts. I can't remember..." Sonic shook his head, quills bristling. He noticed Shadow in the room, swiping coffee beans from Tails' maker. "Hey, wait, I know you!"

Shadow stopped mid-scoop, as if he was a child caught stealing cookies in the middle of the night. "...And?"

Sonic ignored him all of a sudden, turning to Tails. "What's that black hedgehog's name again? And why is he in your house?"


	12. The Marangoni Effect

There was a soft crunch, and the spilling of a chocolate brown powder onto the floor. Shadow walked over, his boots making heavy _clanks_ on the ground. "What was that?"

"I just don't know your name." Sonic said. "I think I've seen you before, but I guess we never got a chance to talk. Which is funny, because you tried to clobber me..." Sonic processed this information for a moment. His emerald eyes widened, and he gave Shadow a horrified expression. "No. I _do_ know you. I-I remember you. But why I can't remember your name?!"

"My name is Shadow!" He yelled back.

"I don't recognize it." Sonic replied mournfully.

Chaos energy began to spark around Shadow's body. He frowned and left the room in a hurry.

Sonic clothed the sheets, looking down. "I didn't meant to upset him."

"I'll talk to him when he's calmed down. ...You remember me, right?" Tails asked cautiously.

"Of course I do. You're my little bro, Tails." Sonic smiled gently. "Right?"

Tails let out a soft sigh of relief. "Well then. Can I get you some water, or...?"

"I think I'll be okay." Sonic said. "Although if I could get myself a bath sometime, that'd be great."

"I'm sure we can work something out."

A seething ebony hedgehog stomped outside, his eyes shaking with rage. He tore the garage door off it's hinges, stepping into the neat workshop. Vague memories of seeing the aftermath of the virus came to the surface of his mind.

Shadow screamed, a chaos shockwave shaking the workshop.

Sonic felt the fur on the back of his neck stand up, but couldn't place the cause. He yawned. Fidgeting in place, he let out a huff of annoyance. "I'm sick of not being able to go anywhere."

As Tails shut off the living room lights and glanced at his bed, he bit the bottom of his lip. "...Sonic? Can I ask you something?"

"What's up buddy?"

"I'm so scared, Sonic. I thought I was going to lose you yesterday." He said quietly. "I don't wanna sleep alone tonight. Is that okay?"

Sonic understood what he truly meant. He held out a trembling hand, and Tails crawled into Sonic's bed, embracing his older brother. Tails gently snuggled into matted blue fur, namesakes wrapping around them both.

"I don't want you to leave." He cried softly. "You're my family."

"I-I won't. I promise."

He let go slightly, staring sadly at the black lines all over Sonic's body, and the pained expression hidden behind his brother's smile. Tails took a deep breath. "We're going to fix this."

Sonic draped the bedsheets around them, watching Tails pad at the unfamiliar mattress for a moment before laying down to sleep. He glanced up at Sonic, and for a mere moment the sick hero could see that little eight-year-old fox that would toddle after him, wanting to become a hero of his own.

"You smell awful." Tails said. "You're totally getting a bath tomorrow."

"I love you too." Sonic smirked.

With a twitch of his tail, the younger turned off the lamp.

Shadow walked back inside. His eyes were baggy, and clearly that emotional outburst had taken it's toll on his own energy. He sat down in a chair, eyes focused on the bed.

The brothers were snuggling like pups. The way Sonic held Tails like a protective hen...despite the fact he was the one who needed all the protection he could get. Shadow looked away, feeling indifference. Sonic was both blessed and cursed in his eyes. A brother to take care of, and a brother that he would lose if they didn't do anything soon.

They were running out of time.

The next day, Tails snuck out of Sonic's grasp, and relayed his thoughts to Shadow.

"I may be getting my hopes up, but Sticks' cure-all or whatever is doing wonders for him." He said. "Last night he seemed a lot more active than before, and his breathing is a little more clear. I know it's not completely healing him, but-"

"I'm _well_ aware it's doing something to help him. I'm going to get that badger to explain to me what's in it or so help me." Shadow took a handful of coffee beans from Tails' pot. "Anything else?"

"Uh...I was thinking we should give Sonic a bath."

"A bath?" Shadow echoed, beans crunching in his mouth. "How is that going to help us?"

"I mean, he requested it. He could _certainly_ use one." Tails said. "Also, it keeps his morale up, which I feel like is a good thing."

Shadow stared blankly at the fox, then sighed. "Fine. But right after we're done, we go back to figuring out a plan."

"Of course."

"And _I'll_ be the one doing it. You deal with his bedding, fox."

"Wh-what?!"

From Tails' yell of disbelief did the azure hedgehog's eyes open, and he groggily processed who was standing near the bed. Tails, and somebody he barely recognized.

"Oh." Sonic rubbed his eyes. "...Shadow, right?"

"Yes." He said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry about last night, I-"

"Save it." Shadow strode over and yanked the covers away. He grabbed Sonic-making the poor guy squeak in surprise-and flung him over his shoulder. The hedgehog, now awake, attempted to flail from his grasp.

"What are you _doing_?!"

"Giving you a bath." Shadow continued walking.

"Giving me a...no no no! I can do that _myself_ , all I really needed was for somebody to help me into the tuAAHHH-" His words were cut short as he was suddenly dunked into a warm bathtub. He shook his head, his vision dancing as water dripped down his quills. "Was that necessary?"

Shadow didn't give an answer. He closed the door and brought out a bottle of shampoo. Sonic realized too late what was about to happen, and shouted in surprise when the gelatin substance poured over his quills. Clawtips grazed his scalp as Shadow began roughly rubbing the soap between his spines, ignoring the shudder Sonic would give off every now and then.

Shadow glanced at the black veins. If there was some way he could cull them from Sonic's body, he would. It could be as easy as washing the dirt from his blue spines. Thankfully, whatever the hell Sticks had given him appeared to be keeping their spread at bay like Tails said. But deep in his gut, Shadow knew it was only a temporary solution.

Unless Sonic wanted to stay in this perpetual state of weakness forever, they had to do something.

Just when the blue blur thought this ordeal was over, Shadow dunked a bucket of water over his head to clear away the soap. Sonic yelped, shaking the water from his quills. Shadow mulled over wether he should clean the rest of Sonic's fur, decided that would be too much, and tossed him the body wash. Sonic muttered something and began to clean the rest of his fur as Shadow leaned against the door. Several coughs made his heart beat faster in panic, but a quick glance and turns out Sonic had just gotten some of the soap in his mouth. How clumsy.

Feeling that Sonic had done enough, Shadow unplugged the drain without warning. He dragged the soaking wet hedgehog onto the floor, or rather, onto a prepared towel.

Sonic, waterlogged and still weak from the infection, struggled to stand on his own. He saw the towel, and Shadow standing over him. It clicked. He raised a dripping finger, scowling.

"Don't you dare-"

Shadow ignored his protests and began to roll Sonic into the fluff of the towel. About 30 seconds later, he had a successful hedgehog burrito, wiggling and yelling. He hefted him up with a single hand and walked back outside, where a terrified Tails stood waiting for them. A basket of bedsheets laid in a heap on the floor.

"Now then." Shadow dropped Sonic onto the couch as if he were nothing more than a light pillow, and seated himself next to him. "Let's continue where we left off."

"No no! Excuse me, what the heck was that supposed to be?!" Sonic yelled hoarsely.

"Oh, be quiet." He rested a hand on the side of the couch.

"Now I can see why we're always fighting in my memories." Sonic stretched his arms, trying to escape from the cotton cocoon he was trapped in. "You refuse to listen to anybody else's opinions."

The wooden armrest cracked from the force of Shadow's grip. Ruby red eyes glowed menacingly.

"So I was thinking..." Tails said nervously, trying to change the subject. "Maybe we can tap into the hivemind somehow. Reason with it."

Shadow let out a dry laugh. " _Reason_ with it? That's absurd. It's a mindless predator."

"Guys."

"If it's smart enough to have survived this long, then maybe there's something more to it. The question is how we can access it."

"Guys."

"Fantastic. And while you waste your time with that, I'll be thinking of an actual plan."

"GU-ACK!" Sonic finally yelled, only to nearly hack up a lung. Shadow and Tails were ripped from their little argument and back to reality. Tails unwrapped his poor friend from the fluffy prison, and saw that the veins had grown past his biceps. They seemed to dig painfully through his skin and muscle, and Sonic was panting at the effort to not scream.

"I think Sticks' miracle-whatever-cure is wearing off..." A single drop of blood ran down from the corner of his mouth.


	13. My Very Own Health Surveillance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun Fact: The title of the chapter comes from a scene I had to cut between Sonic and Shadow. However, I liked the chapter's name, so I decided to keep it anyway lol

Despite his award-winning smile, more and more lines of red dripped from Sonic's mouth.

"Just hang on Sonic!" Tails said. "I'm going to get you help. Try to breathe slowly!" He opened up his communicator and got Amy on the line.

Sonic shivered, a hand pressed over his mouth. The metallic-tasting liquids spilled through his fingers, staining the couch and his blue fur. "I can't breathe-" As Tails talked over the phone, a sticky glob of something made it's way up his throat, and he hacked it up onto the towel. ...He was right about the sandwich.

Shadow sighed, kneeling down beside him. "Breathe through your nose."

Sonic nodded and did as he asked. He whined, trying to keep rest down, but the acidic aftertaste left him spitting out pints in disgust. The cream-colored towel was slowly painted an ominous red. His lungs began to burn, and he knew that soon he'd be breathing his own blood.

"When..." Sonic dry heaved. "Sticks?"

"Sticks _should_ be ready with another one of those magic bottles soon." He muttered. "I can only assume she's work-"

"Lucky for you," The door slammed open. "I was ready for this yesterday!" Sticks was carrying a large bag that made a clinking sound with every step. The badger laid the bag of medicinal bottles on the coffee table, fishing for one. "Aha. Here." Sticks said, holding the chosen out to the hedgehog. "Another dose, all ready for ya."

Shadow grabbed it and twisted it open. He held it to Sonic's mouth, and the blue hedgehog's fingers curled around ebony to properly guide it. He weakly held the bottle alongside Shadow, and gulped it down. The bottle clattered to the wooden floor, and Sonic let out a loud, wet cough.

"Is that better?" Tails asked.

"Mmm." Sonic moaned. "Ow."

Amy and Knuckles entered the room, and their hearts fell at the sight of their team leader. Knuckles took a cup and gave Sonic some water to drink, hoping it would soothe his ailing throat. As Sonic tried to relax after the ordeal, Tails sat down to inform everyone of his recent discoveries.

"After Sonic took the medicine from Sticks, he seemed to get better. It was even less painful than usual, right?" Sonic nodded in confirmation. "But contrary to what we might think, it wasn't healing him, it was actually letting his body recover because the infection had been nulled for a bit." Tails explained. "Basically, Sticks' stuff stopped the bacteria from spreading. Like a great wall to an army of soldiers."

"On that note, I have a few questions for you." Shadow turned to the orange, feral badger. "About your...badger cure, or whatever?"

"Ailment." Sticks corrected. "Badger Family Ailment."

Shadow stepped forward. "You have to tell me what's inside."

Sticks bit her lip. Knowing she really had no choice, she sighed, then took one of the bottles. She popped open the cap and showed the plain contents of the bottle to everyone. Inside was a clear liquid of some kind. "It looks like water, but it's really plants. Of all kinds. They've been cut down so purely, you can't even tell what type they are or what they look like."

"So...plant cells, then?" Tails asked.

"I guess." Sticks shrugged. "If that's the purest form of a plant, then sure."

"S'plains why it tastes so bad." Sonic mumbled.

"Plant cells..." Tails thought for a moment. "Wait. WAIT! That explains how it got the infection to stop spreading! Shadow, you said it can't infect plant matter, right? Because of how their cell walls are structured?"

"That's right." Shadow replied. "When Sonic took that, his body absorbed the pure strains of plant cells. It halted the infection from spreading because it can't interact with the cell walls spread through his body." His eyes lit up, as he realized where the fox was going.

Tails snapped his fingers. "If we can somehow inject plant cells into it's core-"

"Then we can completely neutralize it." Shadow realized. "It's internal structure will be forcibly rewired, and it wouldn't be able to defend itself."

"But the question is, how do we get to the core?"

Both looked to Sonic. He blinked innocently, looking between the two. "What?" He asked in a tired voice.

"We'll need to run some tests." Shadow said. "I'll leave the prep to you, fox." Without any aforementioned warning, he grabbed Sonic by the wrist and dragged him straight to his bed. He dropped Sonic roughly onto the fresh sheets.

"Hey!"

"Oh shut up, hedgehog." Shadow replied. "Save your voice for when it matters." He walked off, pressingly to sulk in another part of the house.

Sonic scoffed. "Callous piece of...ugh, whatever." His ears flopped down. What had happened in the past that made Shadow act this way? He could see it in his blood-red eyes; the ebony hedgehog hated every second of caring for him. So why was he still here at all? What had stopped them from becoming friends?

His memories had become so hazy.

Irritated, he pulled the covers over him and laid down. He felt so drained. So...numb. Inside and out.

**"Report."**

"Huh?" He looked up, only to see Knuckles staring through the window.

**"Report."**

"Discover way stop you." Sonic said. "I...huh?"

**"Received."**

"What was that, Sonic?" Amy asked, walking over. Sonic shrugged, scrunching up his face.

"I heard something. Must have just been me."

"You probably just need to sleep." She suggested. "Your...episode, earlier must've taken a lot out of you."

Sonic nodded, closing his eyes. Yeah. He just needed to sleep. His throat hurt, his stomach felt like it had twisted inside-out, he wanted to rest until 2:30 PM. A soft humming reached his ears, and he recognized the tune. However, it wasn't entirely correct. "Hey, uh..."

"Hm?" Amy stopped her humming, turning to look at him.

"You're singing off-key."

A pillow hit the top of his head.

Satisfied with her rebuttal, Amy turned away and continued her humming. Knuckles held back a giggle, and Sonic mumbled something about notes.

Meanwhile, in the workshop, Tails fixed the last electrode to the strainer. "That should do it."

"With this, we can read and copy his brainwaves, correct?"

"Yes. We can use try and fool the Death Machine into thinking Sonic is going to do one thing, when in reality he'll be doing something else entirely. It'll _think_ it's in the all clear. Hopefully that can buy us enough time to open a path."

Shadow nodded, then said, "But I ought to reinform you, it is a hivemind. How are we going to do this discreetly? At any time, the core could listen in through Sonic and develop a countermeasure. Then we're back at square one."

"That's easy. We can just do it while he sleeps."

"...Okay." Shadow said. "Let's pretend that he's somehow still conscious enough to think of exactly what we need him to. While he's _asleep_. Great idea."

"I already have something to solve that." Tails smiled smugly. "It hasn't been tested yet, but..."


	14. Oh, Knuckles is Here Too

Tails' great idea was to merge consciousnesses while Sonic was dreaming. While it was still on the table for wether they could avoid the hivemind's detection during sleep, Tails was certain this would bring good results; and at the very least, help them understand the bacteria's effects on the psyche.

"One problem." Shadow said, after the fox had explained all of this. "What if the hivemind _does_ discover whoever is inside Sonic's mind? It could very well infect them from there. Hell, even being in there could be enough for contamination. You forget, this creature can control somebody's consciousness as well as their body. I don't want to risk having another spy on our hands."

"We have to try." Tails said. He turned the small helmet over in his hands, admiring the metal texture. He would not be shy about it; he was proud that he had managed to combine a machine to connect to organic parts of the body.

Organic...Machine.

"I have an idea."

Sonic opened his eyes, yawning. His stomach hurt. He wanted food so badly, but his throat still ached from earlier. Red spots danced in his vision, and he squinted...

Oh wait. That was just Knuckles.

"Good morning sunshine!" The echidna greeted. "Or, afternoon, I guess, but morning just rolls off the tongue better, you know?"

"Wha...?"

"There others left on a trip to get something, and they left _me_ in charge! Can you believe it? For once, _I_ get to take care of you! Oh, and Sticks is on call to defend the village, so you don't have to worry about that."

Sonic stared at him for a moment. No reaction elicited from him. The echidna grinned, and reached over to a tray on the nightstand. Something was on there, and it made his stomach growl.

"I noticed you've only been given food when you ask for it. If that keeps up, you're going to ruin your entire eating schedule! So I picked up a little brunch for you. Or dinner. Whatever." He helped Sonic sit up, and put the tray on his lap. "Bone apple tea!"

"...I think the correct pronunciation is 'bon appétit'." Sonic finally spoke.

"That's what I just said." Knuckles clarified.

 _Eh._ Sonic inspected the meal. There was a breakfast chili dog (how Knuckles got that at this time of the day, Sonic would never know), peppered bacon, and more of those Apartmenthouse™ cookies. Slowly, he picked up one of the grilled pork slices, and bit into it.

"I can barely taste it, but..." He swallowed. "It feels good in my mouth."

"See? And they didn't trust me with food before." He chuckled heartily. "Just cuz I can't cook doesn't mean I can't order."

"Thanks." Sonic smiled. He continued to eat, trying his best to ignore the horrible sensations coming from his throat. He knew he'd throw this one up too, but maybe he could digest it a _little_ bit before that happened. He never would have thought he'd take eating food for granted.

Before he knew it, he was finished. He really was starving.

"Okay, now I have a bit of a plan for us today, at least until the others get back." He smiled proudly. "First, we watch a movie. Then, I'm gonna take you for a walk!"

"A walk? Dude, I can barely stand without getting dizzy."

"That's why I'm gonna carry you!"

It was at that moment Sonic wished the virus would just claim him now. Amy babying him was one thing, she did that with everybody. Tails doing it, well, he was his brother, it was an obligation. But Knuckles? His best friend and bro? Carrying him?! Sonic could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. _Ugh._

"And even better, I'll go fast while carrying you, so it'll feel like you're really running again!"

_Oh, just kill me now, universe._

Instead, he was suddenly hoisted onto Knuckles' shoulders. He grabbed his the red, spiny dreadlocks, holding on tight. The echidna sauntered out the door, and Sonic had to duck his head.

The bright light of the sun shone on his face. Sonic covered his eyes with a hand for a moment, then adjusting to the shine. ...He had missed being outside. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Okie-dokie! The Knuckles-mobile is all pumped and ready!"

And just like that he wanted to be inside again, asleep.

"How about we...uh, park, by that tree?" Sonic pointed, his legs still wrapped around Knuckles' neck. "And we can relax?"

"Sounds like a plan!"

Knuckles pulled Sonic from his spot and placed him on the ground by the trunk of the palm. He sat down beside him, arms behind his head in a content pose.

"It's nice to just take it easy." He sighed blissfully.

"Sorry if I was being weird to you." Sonic found himself saying. "This whole situation is just odd for me."

"I mean, I think you've been acting perfectly fine, but apology accepted!"

Sonic smiled, when he felt something spasm inside of him. It was like a jolt of electricity, touching a metal doorknob after walking along a carpet. However, this felt 10x more painful and a million times more unwanted. Gripping his chest in disgust, Sonic realized he wasn't wearing his scarf. In fact, he hadn't been wearing it for the past few days, now that he thought about it.

He was really out of it, huh?

 _Ow ow ow._ "Not again..."

Knuckles turned to look at him, and his face fell. Noticing Sonic's grimace, he asked "Is it hurting you again?"

"Yeah." Sonic whimpered. "P-pretty bad, actually." His voice trailed off into a sharp whine.

Knuckles leaned over and hugged him.

"I can't say I know what it feels like, but...I-I'm here for you, bro."

Sonic was about to thank him. But something seemed to snap inside his mind. Like a rubber band breaking. Sonic's eyes glazed over. The world felt dizzy, and cold...

And then he opened his eyes, feeling completely fine. Even the pain was dulled.

He remembered that he did not like being touched.

Meanwhile, Tails piloted the plane, consisting of him and Amy. Shadow soared beside them, his jet skates letting off a stream of smoke.

"Sure you don't need a high-alt suit?" Tails asked him again, placing an oxygen mask over his muzzle. The air was starting to get a little thin.

"I'm the Ultimate Lifeform. I'll be fine." Shadow snapped.

"What is with you and that?" Amy muttered, her voice lost over the wind. Shadow seemed to hear it anyway, as he glared at her with fervor.

"We're here."

The city of Roboken, previously referred to as Morristown, laid out before them like a diorama stuck in the sky. It's buildings gave the bubble-protected city an uneven horizon. Tails signaled "friendly" with his plane, and the gates opened. With little effort, he landed the plane in their parking zone, neatly lining up with the rest of their ships. Shadow followed close behind.

The, the flames on Shadow's boots sputtered and billowed out, leading to the poor hedgehog to crash elegantly onto the ground. He cursed and hit the forefoot of his boot to the metal ground. "I'll need to refuel."

"Aye, we can do that!"

Two robots revealed themselves from the shadows. One was tall, and broadly built from coppery metals. The other had more of a "frog" aesthetic to him, with extendable arms bouncing at his sides. One more robot followed suite, seeming to escort them. He glared, but his expression softened when he recognized the visitors.

"Oh, hey! Flesh-Tails, Flesh-Amy." The blue and silver machine waved, running up to them with the precision of a laser cutter. "And...who's the emo?"

" _Excuse_ me?" Shadow asked. He tightened a fist. "Are you asking for a-"

"Woah, woah!" Tails jumped between them. "Shadow, don't hurt him! That's the cybernetic counterpart I was talking about!"

Cyborg Sonic waved, pistons in his arm moving and clicking.


	15. He is Mortal

"I must say!" Bolts examined Shadow's boots. "These are wonderful craft! Might I ask, who built them?"

"...Somebody I met a long time ago. I just maintain them." He said. Shadow shot Cyborg Sonic a glare, before continuing his talk with Bolts.

C. Sonic sat down, trying to process this information. "So...Flesh Me, aka OG Me, was infected by a hivemind virus and is going to _die_?"

"Unless you help us." Amy affirmed.

"And when you say 'help you', you mean you want me to enter his dream consciousness via neural currents and record certain brainwave patterns? Without actually telling him any of this so we can keep it secret from the hivemind? All while at the risk of being found by it?"

"The theory, though, is that you _shouldn't_ be discovered. Or infected like Sonic was." Tails said. "You may have Sonic's genetic DNA copied into your bio-programming, but you are still physically a robot. It shouldn't be able to sense you. _And_ , and, if the virus does infect your mind, it won't be able to control your body. It'll basically be trapped."

"What if it can still see through my eyes? Won't I just be another spy for it?"

"We won't let that happen." Tails said. "I can make backups of your core programming, preserving your mind _and_ re-cloning your DNA in case we have to wipe you. And if worse comes to worst...I'll put you in shutdown until we destroy the core. I promise, you will live through this."

C. Sonic put a finger to his chin, in deep thought. "Well...Sonic is the reason for my creation. And helped break me free from Eggman's mind control once. I guess I owe him one." He noticed the sad gazes of the Mobians staring at him. "What?"

"Nothing, you just look so, erm...alive."

"OG Me must be doing pretty bad, huh?"

"Bad enough we left our Knuckles to watch him." Amy chuckled.

C. Sonic smirked. "Okay. I'll do it. This might even be fun."

A loud crash, and the deafening sound of the ensuing explosion, had everyone turn their heads to the sudden hole in the roof of the workshop. Shadow was nowhere to be found, and a large cloud of steam blanketed Bolts.

"I...might have given him too powerful of a fuel."

There was a sudden blip, and from a blue flash did Shadow the Hedgehog reappear. He was several feet off the ground, and hit the floor with a thump. Irritated, he got up, and detached the smoking boosters from his shoes, leaving him with simple white and black slip-ons. "Just...fix it."

"Will do!" Bolts saluted, taking the red-hot rockets into his extending arms. Mumbling something nobody could hear, Shadow removed his shoes, the bottom of which had burnt off completely from the heat of the blast-off. His paws didn't look any better.

"Shadow?" Amy knelt down next to him. "Your feet."

"I'll be fine." He muttered. He stood up, grunting, and began to walk away in search of Tails' plane and medical kit. Bloody footprints marked his beaten path.

"No, Shadow, wait!" Amy followed. "You're hurt, let me help you!" She reached out to him...

"I said no! Back off!" Shadow slapped her arm away from him. Amy stepped back, nursing her bruised wrist. Shadow's eyes widened for a moment, and he bit his lip. "I didn't mean-I just-forget it." He turned away.

Amy narrowed her green eyes. As soon as he was out of her sight, she began to follow him. It was easy, just track down the bloodstained paw prints on the metal floor. She found him in the hangar, where they had parked earlier. Ducking her head under the wing of a plane, Amy spotted her target. Shadow was wrapping gauze around his soles, fangs sticking out in a growl. He suddenly looked at her, making Amy jump.

"I know you're right there. Go away."

"Shadow, you and I need to talk."

"No, we don't." He snapped.

"Yes, we do!" Amy yelled. "To start, you attacked our team twice, without any warning, and tried to beat us to death the second time! Next, you nearly choked me in your cave when all you had to say was 'where did you find that tablet'! Then you slapped Sonic when he was having a panic attack. And now you've hit me again when I just wanted to help you because you were _hurt_. Shadow, just tell me, what's wrong? Why are you always being so violent?!"

"BECAUSE IT'S THE ONLY THING I KNOW!" He screamed.

Amy stood still, the only sound being the wind rushing through the hangar.

"It's the only thing I know, Rose." He said again. "...For my whole life, violence has been my only solution to anything." Shadow said wearily. He grew quiet, as if hoping Amy wouldn't be able to hear him. "It's how I communicate. If I do anything else, I'll be lowly in my opponent's eyes. I have to be better." Shadow put his head in his hands. "I don't know how else to make you understand."

"...I do understand." Amy said. "I know how it feels. To feel weak, to feel like you're second-rate."

"I'M NOT!" Shadow screamed again. "Don't you dare think for a second that I'm like any of those things! I am Shadow. The. Hedgehog. I've beaten your team to a pulp. Your very arch-nemesis fears me. I've nearly destroyed the universe. The only reason you're still alive now is because you're not _worth_ killing!"

Amy curled her hands into fists, standing a little taller. "I _know_ you don't mean any of that. You're just scared!"

Shadow, for a split second, broke. He had fear in his eyes. His hands trembled. His footing was off balance. Then he growled, and lunged.

Amy was...very surprised.

Shadow wrapped his arms around her, in a nearly bone-crushing hug. She would surely be sore for days. She could hear him growling, a dominating sound that made her want to scream and cower. His fangs were so close to her neck. He could easily snap it with his own teeth. There were a million ways he could kill her, right then, right there.

But he let her go.

"This conversation is nonexistent." He said quietly. "I will break your spine if you tell anybody else about this. Got it?"

"If you'd just let us help you..."

"We're done." He pushed her away and walked out of the hangar. Amy was left standing there to contemplate what just happened.

Did Shadow...come out of his shell for a moment?

Was he really just a scared child in an immortal body? Somebody who only reacted the way they did because they were too frightened to try anything else? How oddly mortal of him. Or was he truly about to kill her before changing his mind at the last moment?

Strangely, that made him even more mortal in her eyes.

Amy exhaled loudly, letting her tight fists unfurl. She wasn't entirely sure what to think. Her entire perspective had been changed.

 _Death is not an option,_ he had said, when explaining why they couldn't just kill Sonic and easily render the virus dormant.

If he was truly evil, he wouldn't have said that. He wouldn't have even considered that. There was good in him. They just had to bring it out, whatever it took.

Amy returned to C. Sonic, Mighton, and Bolts, who had just finished discussing the plan and it's cover story with Tails, who held a bag of back-up copies of C. Sonic's brain. Mighton quickly handed the repaired rocket skates to Shadow, who took them and fitted them onto his bandaged feet. After a final double-check that they had everything they needed, the group said their goodbyes, while C. Sonic promised the citizens he'd be back to protect their city soon. The biplane sprung to life, and soared into the clouds. While they flew, Tails relayed the plan to Amy.

Shadow flew alongside C. Sonic, his eyes nearly burning a hole into the metal machine. The copy of his rival did nonchalant spins and flips, and his stupid smile made Shadow want to tear him to scrap.

After what felt like hours, they landed by Tails' workshop. The fox and the pink hedgehog undid their high-altitude masks, breathing in the surface air. C. Sonic landed with a thunk in the sand. "Remember your cover, okay?" Amy said. "You're here to help out in Sonic's absence."

"Got it." He glanced to his left, spotting a familiar figure lacking a bolo tie. A red echidna sat outside, sulking. "Hey, isn't that-"

"Knuckles!" Amy yelled. "What are you doing outside? Where's Sonic?" She ran to him, worried about what may have happened while they were gone.

Knuckles turned toward them. He was crying, tears staining his muzzle.

"Sonic doesn't know who I am."


	16. They Have a Plan! (Sorta)

A red blur burst into the kit's house, finding a shaking blue Sonic curled up on the floor. Bruises had begun to appear at the ends of the infected veins. Items had been pushed off the coffee table, and there were deep scratches in the wood. Shadow knelt down and shook his shoulder.

"Sonic!" Shadow barked. "Sonic, what is my name?!"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" He shouted. "The virus! I can't remember anything clearly anymore!"

Tails came in, his fur standing on end. Sonic saw him, and a glimmer of remembrance sparkled in his eyes. he reached out to him, trying to push Shadow away.

"Miles, please, help me..."

"Miles? Who the _hell_ is Miles?!" Shadow asked angrily.

"That's my real name." Tails said. The pieces clicked into place. "Sonic hasn't called me that in years! Nobody has!"

"Miles, please, help me!" Sonic begged. "I DON'T KNOW WHO ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE!"

Then C. Sonic entered the room, and his flesh-and-bone duplicate had to do a double-take. Then he screeched. "WHAT IS _THAT_?! WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE ME?!" He started coughing dryly, his body not used to the continuous abuse on his vocal chords.

C. Sonic sputtered something, then pointed to the door. "Uh, I'm here because...I just...yeah." He walked back outside, leaving a horrified Amy in his place.

"Sonic, I need you to calm down..." She said quietly. "We can help you remember. This has happened before, you managed to recover some of your memories."

Sonic brought his hands up to his head, rocking in place and crying. "MILES, GET THEM AWAY FROM ME!"

As the group did what they could to calm the deranged blue hedgehog, C. Sonic found that Knuckles had refused to go back inside.

He was in an upright fetal position on the porch, covering his ears. Of course he wasn't taking this well. Chunks of his best friend's mind were being taken away, leaving him an unfinished puzzle with distorted memories. C. Sonic tried to give Knuckles a reassuring pat, but he just moved away. Cowering.

He sat down, the setting sun reflecting on his polished skin. "Hey. I know I'm not exactly _your_ Sonic, but I'm here if you need me."

"He didn't even know who I was." Knuckles sobbed. "He just suddenly pushed me away and...and started freaking out."

"He seems to remember he's sick, so at least we don't have to explain that to him." C. Sonic wasn't sure if that was supposed to make them feel better or not.

At this point Sonic retreated to the corner of the room, spines bristling. His eyes were pinpoints, constantly scanning the people around him. Tails gestured to Amy.

"Sonic, do you recognize Amy at all?"

He shrugged. "Kinda. It's like you see somebody in a dream and...and then you meet them the next day." Sonic mumbled. "But I don't know you."

Amy bit her lip, trying to hold back tears. "I-I'm your friend, Sonic. We go out on picnics sometimes and you like to watch movies at my house."

Sonic just stared blankly. "I don't remember doing any of that."

"Then what do you remember?" Shadow asked, stepping forward.

"You're a jerk." Sonic said. "I don't even have to know you to see that. You just look like a jerk."

Shadow growled, baring his fangs. "Listen here you little sh-"

"Okay, okay!" Tails put out his arms. "Let's start over. Sonic, you remember me, right?" He pointed to himself.

"You're Miles. We've been friends for nearly our whole lives." He took a deep breath, and continued. "You're a genius, and you're trying to help cure me."

"That's right. You call me Tails."

Sonic glanced at the two swishing appendages. "Mmm. Very original."

Tails cracked a small smile. "What else do you remember?"

"My name is Sonic. I was in a dark cave and something cut my chest open. It dropped a thing inside of me and I've been sick ever since. If we can't kill it, I'm going to die."

"...Yeah, that's right." Tails confirmed solemnly. "Now, Shadow and Amy? They're helping me try to cure you. Amy and I, and that echidna out there, Knuckles, we're all friends. You have another friend too, Sticks, but she's not here at the moment."

Sonic nodded in understanding. Silently, he asked for Tails to keep going.

"The five of us protect our home from a man named Doctor Eggman. He attacks us with his machines so he can take over the island."

"...Eggman? That's a really stupid name."

Amy snorted.

"Do you remember anything else about the virus?" Shadow interjected.

"It's like a parasite. It wants to use me as fuel for it's queen, or something...I think."

Shadow sighed. "Alright. We've spent enough time down memory lane." He pulled a blanket from the couch and laid it over Sonic. He yelped, falling over in a pile of sewn fabric. He lowered his voice to a near-silence. "Now we need to act fast before he loses another part of himself." He hesitated leaving for just a second, then went for the door. "You know what you need to do. I'll work with...our guest." He purposefully kept vague about the plan in front of Sonic.

"Shadow, wait." Tails whisper-yelled. "We need at least two days to prepare!"

"We _did_ , then this happened." He gestured to Sonic. "Now get to it."

He walked out onto the porch and grabbed C. Sonic by the wrist, dragging him. The cyborg yelped, trying to tug his arm away. "Dude, let go! What's the big deal?"

"You're coming with me to start the machine. Sonic cannot know about this."

C. Sonic activated his jets, trying to use the force to release himself from Shadow's grip. However, this resulted in a scene that looked like an edgy teen pulling a very angry balloon with him during a windy day. Shadow kicked the garage doors open, and finally let go.

With a creak of his joints, C. Sonic winced, nursing his arm. There was a dent in there, all right. "Okay, pal, what's the big idea? I don't even know you! Look, if this is about the emo thing, I'm _sorry_ , everybody says my mouth runs-" He stopped talking to catch an odd strainer with electrodes attached to it. "-my mouth runs faster than my brain. The point is, can you at least tell me what's wrong?"

Shadow huffed. "Somebody I care about is dying, so naturally, I'm a little on edge."

C. Sonic processed this for a moment. "...Oh my gosh, are you and OG Sonic a-"

He was met with a swift kick in the chest. His system flashed with warning signals, and he crashed into the wall. Sawdust fell in a ring around him. "D-d-d-ude, my p-p-p-p-proscessor-r-r-r! Y-y-ou knoc-c-c-c-cked it lo-o-o-ose!"

Shadow sighed, his tone clearly implying "must I do everything myself", and dragged the robot to the workbench. He pulled his chest-plate off, and found his core processor sparking. It was clearly dislodged. C. Sonic's head began twitching erratically, and Shadow shoved the part back into place.

C. Sonic's systems rebooted, did a quick check of functionality, and he sat up. He stared daggers into Shadow's eyes. "Alrighty, the hell was that for?!"

"I don't know how it got into your head that we may be together in such a way, but I can assure you we are _not_. Once this is all over, and we destroy the Death Machine, I'm going to kill him myself."

"You said he was somebody you cared about."

"I never said such a thing." Shadow handed C. Sonic's chest plate back to him. "Now be useful, get decent, and help me prepare the Neural Bypass."

C. Sonic looked down, using a white-hot finger to weld his chest back into place. He swung his legs over the worktable, and began to untangle a series of wires Shadow pulled out for him.

They were just going to upload his bio-mind into Sonic's own via electrical currents in his brain via a system based on a scrapped project Tails had created a month ago without his knowledge. No biggie.


	17. Into The Depths of Our Mind

"Okay, let's review." Tails said, holding a clipboard. "C. Sonic. I'm going to hook you up into the Neural Bypass. I'm not a robot, so I don't know what it'll be like, but according to Bolts, you'll feel a little disconnected from reality. Then I'm going to hook up Sonic to this," he held up the strainer with the electrodes, "and give him a drug to help him fall asleep. Once that happens, I'll use his nerve conductions to simulate a computer program, and allow you access."

"And the only reason I can even enter and leave his mind in the first place is because I'm not entirely machine, right?"

"Exactly." Tails affirmed. "Once you connect to his brain's electrical currents, you're on your own. We won't be able to contact you. So remember what you have to do."

"Make him think certain things so you can copy his brain-waves. Got it." C. Sonic gave a thumbs up. "Piece of cake. I'm very charismatic."

"I uploaded your checklist to this USB, so plug it in and access it for reference any time." Tails handed him an orange USB, and C. Sonic opened a panel on the side of his head. He snapped it in, such precision only possible because he was a machine. Quickly, notes and recorded brainwave-scans of a subject named "SH-11505" appeared on his HUD.

"Cool."

A shaking Sonic was sitting in his bed, a sullen Knuckles next to him. His blue fur was frazzled, and his eyes had sunken to incredible depths. There were visible tear lines on his face, and he wiped at them when he saw C. Sonic walk up. "Oh. Hi. Uh, Miss Amy tried telling me about you...and I g-guess you're my clone?"

"Kinda, yeah." C. Sonic rubbed the back of his head. "Listen, dude. I'm gonna protect the town for you until you get better."

"Okay." Sonic nodded politely.

 _Where's the spunk? The witty banter? He's nothing like I remember..._ C. Sonic thought.

Amy gave Sonic a drink of water. "Okay, we're just going to give you some sleeping meds, okay? Then you can take a good, long nap."

"...You're nice. I can see why we would be friends."

Amy blushed for a moment, then shook her head back to reality. She began to open the bottle of pills.

C. Sonic rolled his eyes at their exchange. "Where's Flesh Sticks?"

"Sticks doesn't trust machines, so she elected to stay away." Tails said. "Right now...I'm not sure what she's doing."

In fact, the badger was in her burrow, trying to soothe a headache with her head in her hands. She was stupid, so stupid. So blind. How could she have not realized this sooner?! She was always the one to sniff out wether something was wrong, the one to save her friends from things just like this!

Then the badger had an idea. She got up and began to sift through her drawers.

Back at the room where he was dying, Sonic began to succumb to the effects of the drugs. He yawned, his spines slowly settling. "Hey...I...I'm sorry." He began. His voice was slow, and his eyelids were heavy. "I want to remember you guys, I really do."

"And you will." Amy reassured him. "You just need a lot of sleep right now. Your body has been through a lot."

_And it's about to go through a helluva lot more._

Sonic's head fell forward, and Amy caught it. His neck lolled to the side, and he passed out. Shadow snapped his fingers a few times in front of his face, and the only reaction they got was a small snore. "He's out. Let's move."

Knuckles gently carried Sonic to the workshop, and Shadow attached the electrode-studded strainer to his head. C. Sonic sat down opposite to the sleeping hero. The former was a machine and therefore didn't need "sleep" so watching his flesh counterpart do it was somewhat fascinating.

"Okay, Cyborg Sonic, I'm going to upload you into the Neural Bypass Network." Tails lightly tapped the side of the large, blinking box between his and Sonic's respective cots. "Just relax, okay?"

C. Sonic laid down, turning his head so the open panel would show. Tails connected a mess of wires to it's available ports, and C. Sonic's eyes went dark.

He awakened in a land of 1s and 0s, which he recognized as the NBN. He floated around, muffled voices coming from the outside. Tuning his audio receptors, Tails' voice came through.

" _Can you hear me?_ "

"Loud and clear!" C. Sonic said. "You probably can't see it but I'm giving you a thumbs up right now!"

" _Actually, we can!_ " Tails said. " _One of the wires is supposed to help us see through your eyes. It helps us keep an eye on you and help you out in case something happens._ "

"...I feel violated, but that makes sense, so I can't be too mad." C. Sonic shrugged. "So...I just...wait?"

" _Yep. Sonic's just started dreaming. When he's fully in REM sleep, an entryway should open up for you. You can't miss it._ "

C. Sonic laid his arms behind his head and yawned. This was so weird. His coding understood what was going on, processing with ease, but his Mobian part was very confused. To be honest, he felt a little overwhelmed from all the sensations.

Then, a bright doorway opened. That must be the entrance. C. Sonic gave one final all-clear, and entered. To the outside world, he was radio-silent.

A mess of pathways resembling neurons laid out before him. It was a mixture of beautiful and horrifying. Among the azure neurons laid withered, blackened ones, as though somebody set fire to them. Those must have been the infected parts of Sonic's mind.

"Okay. Just avoid those. Find Sonic's consciousness. Easy."

He began walking along the pathways. Where he stepped, there was a gentle glowing outline of his foot. The pathways around him started to buzz and flicker with a multitude of lights. It seemed as though a single touch sent out ripples of stimulation the the entire mind. Although the infected parts did not react whatsoever...

Speaking of minds, worried thoughts began to seep into his own.

"Calm down, pal. If it gets you, you can just...delete that part. Or upload a backup copy of your brain they made. Cy-Knuckles does that all the time." He chuckled, remembering the constant damage his metallic red friend would inflict upon his head by accident; and to an extent, his bionic processors. To make sure he'd always bounce back, they had about 100 copies of his bio-programming in storage.

He noticed an infected neuron right above him. C. Sonic slowed down. Tentatively, he reached up and waved his hand around it, trying to see if it'd wake up. However the neuron above him didn't react. Tails was right, it seemed; his mind's robotic outline managed to mask most of his organic self. That certainly made him feel a lot better.

But what about when he interacted _directly_ with it? No, no, he'd worry about that bridge when he burned it.

So, C. Sonic did the only thing he could do at the moment and kept walking. Neurons around him grew brighter, and he realized just how dim it was when he first came in. How tired and broken Sonic's mind must have been. The farther he went, the less infected parts he came across. His optics adjusted to the ensuing brightness, and there was a shining orb in front of him. He recognized the bright neuron patterns around it as a dream. That must be where Sonic was.

"Okay pal. I'm heading in." He reached out and made contact, a flurry of images came rushing into his mind.

C. Sonic found himself in a strange landscape. It was an endless black beach, with trees that had uneven proportions and loud waves that did not move. He dug a ped into the rocky sand, and it felt like it might suck him in at any moment.

And, frolicking in the middle of it all, was a perfectly healthy and happy Sonic. His fur was a majestic blue, and his eyes were open and shining bright. Only now, C. Sonic realized how thin and ragged he had become in the real world. He was running in an endless circle, leaving footprints that dissipated after a few moments. C. Sonic watched him have fun, before accessing a new program given to him by Tails for the mission.

"Okay...so first, let's test out the scanner." He sent out a pulse, and scanned the brainwaves being given off by Sonic's neural activity. He labeled this one "Test Run".

He blinked, then blinked again to make sure he was still in Sonic's dreamscape. He was, it had just changed a bit in the past fifteen seconds. Now, a great storm was hovering over the beach, and Sonic's shack had appeared out of nowhere. For some reason, a multitude of colored frogs hopped around, muttering nonsense. C. Sonic cleared his throat and walked up to the shack, which strangely took only three steps to get to.

"Hey, Sonic!" He greeted.

"Oh, hi! This is my humble shack!" Sonic waved, a fluffy purple cat sitting on his head. He did not seem to realize C. Sonic wasn't part of the dream. A frog suddenly appeared out of thin air, falling into Sonic's lukewarm cooking pot.

"So, you're gonna think this is crazy, but-" C. Sonic quickly explained what was happening. The virus, the plan, the brainwave recording, how he fell asleep in the first place. As he talked, the dreamscape shattered, leaving only the two sitting in a warped version of Tails' house. Sonic put a hand to his chin, processing this.

"...Okay, I kind of remember something like that." He said. "But how do I know that isn't a dream?"

"Just trust me." C. Sonic said. "When I tell you what to think, you need to think it. Now clear your mind. Think of...I dunno, an endless white void."

Sonic stared at him for a moment, and suddenly Tails' house was gone from under their feet. They sat in a white void. Walls were nonexistent, and a gentle hum reverberated around them.

"Perfect!" His current state of consciousness made it a lot easier to keep out random thoughts. C. cleared his throat, accessing the scanning program again, and said "Think about an apple."

Sonic shrugged and shut his eyes. The dreamscape shifted, and a giant red apple sat in front of them. It was quickly copied and scanned, and sent to the real world filed under "Test: Think of Apple".

"I think this is gonna work."


	18. Woe to the Badger

"Think 'walking'."

The white skybox that surrounded them was filled with agonizingly slow footsteps. Clearly, much like C. Sonic himself, the Blue Blur did not think highly of such a thing.

"Great. 56 more thoughts to go!"

"56? This is the worst dream ever." Sonic groaned. "But I was never great at lucid dreaming, so what can I do?"

C. Sonic looked around the landscape, changing easily with his every thought. "I dare to disagree."

"So, when I wake up, or whatever...how are you going to hide this from the virus?"

"We have precautions in place." He said. "Blindfolds, earplugs. Y'know, your team takes good care of you. Especially that...emo guy. Shade?"

"...Oh, him. I forgot him." Sonic said glumly. "I barely remember his face. But I doubt he's a part of this team. He seems to hate me."

"...I wouldn't be so sure. I think he's just scared."

"Doesn't seem like somebody who'd be scared."

"You'd be surprised about how different a person can be under their skin."

The landscape suddenly warped to a large skeleton model that you'd see in science classrooms. C. Sonic facepalmed. "Clear mind, buddy."

"Sorry."

In the world of the awake, Tails had his eyes glued to the NBN's monitor. His blue orbs scanned the screen, looking for any sign of the infection around the two 'hogs.

On his cot, Sonic laid sleeping peacefully. His nose would occasionally scrunch up, and his eyes were moving wildly behind his lids. Knuckles stood a little ways away from him, blinking away tears.

"Are we ever going to make him remember us after this?"

"I'm sure he will, as soon as we remove the infection." Amy said. "Cheer up, Knuckles. He seems to be quite fond of you, even if he can't remember who you are."

"I guess." The echidna shrugged. He then lowered his voice. "I'm worried about Tails."

"We all are. But he's strong. We just need to be here for him when he needs us."

As the two spoke gently, Sticks entered the garage. Tails noticed her, and he perked up. "Sticks! I thought you didn't want to come."

"I don't, but I wanted to check up on you guys." Sticks shrugged. "Uh...yeah, I'm not gonna ask why Sonic's cyborg counterpart is here, or why he's plugged into your crazy machine, but I'm sure it's a good reason."

"We're using him to go into Sonic's mind and record certainbrainwaves to trick the hivemind into thinking he's under it's control."

"That makes sense." Sticks said thoughtfully. "When he's up, tell me. I wanna ask how my Cyborg Me is doing. She's probably the only robot I'd ever trust."

"Of course."

She glanced at the group, an unreadable expression on her muzzle. "Kay. I'll be seeing ya then!" 

Sticks waved goodbye, and left the workshop. Despite acting like she'd see them again tomorrow, she knew this might be the last time she'd ever be with her friends. She wanted to cry, to hug them and tell them that she would miss them. Maybe even invite them along. But if she told them what she was about to do, they would never let her go.

Faux-leather boots crunched in the sand, Sticks walking to Tails' house to retrieve something.

A large bag full of her belongings waited for her on Tails' porch; Sticks had hidden it there when she arrived so her friends wouldn't see get suspicious. They'd realize what was going on as soon as they saw it, and the lethal oddities it barely contained. She dug through it for a moment, searching.

Inside the cloth-and-fishnet bag, she had packed her most powerful weapons. An iron-ore bō she had created herself. A heavy-duty oaken bow armed with a quiver of 200 arrows, wooden and metal alike. A shield made from redwood. About 50 boomerangs. 12 pocket grandes with exploding gumtree berries inside. She pulled out what she was looking for and tied the make-shift buloke wooden armor over her body.

Lastly, she scribbled on a piece of notebook paper. Leaving it on Tails' coffee table for her friends to read after she was long gone.

_Hey, guys. Sticks here._

_I'm going to deal with that Death Machine. I'm well prepared, don't worry. You guys just keep doing what you're doing. If my plan doesn't work, then at least I can buy you some time. I'm pretty sure I'll come back fine, but if I'm infected, I'm counting on you guys to give it the killing blow and save me as well as Sonic. And if I don't make it out at all...it's been nice knowing you. I'm glad you're my friends._

_I love you all very much. Sticks out._

She didn't care if she got hurt. She didn't care if her weapons proved fruitless in the end. She didn't care if she didn't make it out.

She was going to kill that Death Machine Organism, or die trying.

Pulling her battle-bag's straps over her shoulders the second time that day, Sticks left and went onward. Armed and ready. 

She reached the caverns, a mess of broken rocks and crumbled architecture. Stepping over the gate that said "off-limits". She pushing aside rocks and found the collapsed tunnel, small holes providing access. She took out her bō and used it to move the rocks apart, and make space for both her and her bag. Soon, she saw a broken door at the end of the hallway, the hole where it used to be blocked off by a boulder.

Just like Amy had said. The Death Machine must be in that room.

If that thing's weakness was plant matter like the maniac Shadow said, then she'd utilize it. Digging through her bag, Sticks downed three bottles of her miracle cure. She felt sorely sick, but kept a straight face.

She put down her bō and pulled out the gumtree bombs. Placing two on either side, she clapped her hands twice, and they were set off. The scent of fire and berry jam filled the air, and the boulder cracked cleanly in two. Drafts of air from the room entered the hall.

Sticks nearly hurled. Ugh, the _smell_. It smelled like the dead. Dead people and dead bodies.

In the center of the room laid the machine.

A tall cylinder, with a multitude of metallic colors. It rose above her like the tallest tower, forbidding and ominous. Sticks hissed, disturbed by the fact she was technically looking at the remains of Mobians shaped into a silo. Arming her bow, she tipped an arrow with a miracle cure, and aimed right above the largest claw.

A perfect shot.

There was a sudden screech, like the screams of the damned. Sticks covered her ears, yelling from the sheer force of the noise. The room shook, and her bow fell to the ground.

The machine then morphed, like some kind of putty. It stretched out a limb to her, snaking across the floor. A mouth-like hole opened at it's end, and a voice came out of it. It was a baritone, speaking with a legion of other voices in the background.

" **Disturb. Why.** "


	19. Sticks and Stones Break His Bones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Violence

"You sonuvabitch." Sticks growled, pointing an end of her bow at it. "You hurt my friend. Now I'm gonna hurt you."

" **Long time. No fuel. Cannot infect.** " It said. " **But still fight. Fight strong. Run advise you.** "

"I don't know what you're tryin' to say..." Sticks nocked another arrow, aiming for the hole. "And I don't care!"

" **Fight.** "

Sticks let out a war cry, and the arrow went loose into it. The arm rose up into the air, morphing like elastic and shooting out spikes as though a pufferfish was stuck inside it. It "coughed up" the arrow. There was another scream, and the arm lashed out towards Sticks' leg, pulling the badger into the room. She responded by pulling the rest of the bombs from her pack and throwing them onto the machine. They stuck and exploded, and the "arm" released her with a cry. Then it slowly pulled back, and the claws melted and disappeared into the core of the machine.

Sticks grabbed her shield and charged at the creature, her bow still strapped around her waist and her bō in the other hand like a lance. She pushed against it's side, stretching inwards like a trampoline, and jammed her staff into it. 

It suddenly broke with a sharp snap, iron rods clattering to the floor.

"No!" Sticks shoved her shield upwards, forgoing her bow and just slamming an arrow into it. It was a tipped one, and it screamed again. Sticks ignored the bleeding from her eardrums, even as the force of the wail pushed her back. The machine bubbled, and then it exploded outward, caterwauling. The sudden mass it reached did not match the form it had taken before.

It was like a wave making rise on the ocean, and all Sticks could do was raise her shield over herself. With a heavy thunk, it landed on her, breaking the redwood apart and spreading around her in a cone-shape. Sticks was suddenly trapped with a multitude of colors, a horrible stench, and thinning air. She was wrapped in a cold sensation, and there was no light to speak of. Pinpoint spikes began to appear around her, the walls of the prison now a torture device, and they closed in with the force of a falling tree.

Her armor snapped and splintered. Sticks screamed as they drove themselves into her fur, her skin, her body. She had too many puncture wounds to count, and the pain was too much to even process. Then they retreated, and she was no longer trapped. Sticks could breathe again, but she could not see clearly. She blinked, rubbing her eyes, trying to ignore the searing pain when she did.

She looked up, and saw something thin and shiny out of the corner of her eye.

She noticed too late that it had configured into a sharp blade above her.

"NO NO _NO_ -"

Sticks' pleas were cut off when the blade penetrated her stomach. She could feel her body screaming, her spine barely grazed by the tip, her blood gushing from the wound. Then it pulled out, and snaked tendrils around her waist. Squeezing. More blood came forth.

" **No threat now.** " It said, picking up her body and tossing it into the hall. " **Leave me rest.** "

Sticks let out a sob, crawling away. She scurried under debris, through holes, and emerged into the afternoon sunlight. She felt so dizzy and tired. Behind her was a thick trail of blood, and broken scraps of her weaponry she had managed to hold onto.

_Survive._

Sticks tore off her shirt and wrapped it around the wound. She had to get to Tails' house. She had to warn her friends. They had no clue what she had just gone through, or what they were truly about to go up against.

"So..." Sonic asked his cybernetic counterpart, still in the depths of his mind, "We have all the patterns down. A semblance of a plan. Now what?"

"I guess we wait until you wake up." C. Sonic said. "I...guess I'll be going now."

"W-wait, how powerful were the drugs Amy gave me?!" Sonic turned, and C. was suddenly gone. He waved a hand in the space where he used to be, a flurry of thoughts projecting around the room now that he didn't need a clear head. "HEY! CYBER ME! COME BACK!"

C. Sonic awoke, disconnected from the NBN and sitting up. He shook his head, waiting a moment for his eyes to finish recalibrating. "Well. That was insane."

"Did it work?!" Knuckles asked.

"...Yes. Considering the fact that you guys probably saw all the weirdness on a monitor, and have the scans I sent to you, yeah. Pretty sure it worked!"

"Alright!" He leaned down to a still-sleeping Sonic's face. "We're gonna get you back soon buddy. Don't worry!"

Shadow rentered the garage, having left a few minutes ago for some water. He was holding a note. "You might want to read this. Found it on the coffee table." He tossed it to Amy. Her eyes scanned over it, and her expression changed to one of horror.

"Oh no..." Amy put a hand to her mouth. "Sticks...Sticks went back to the Death Machine's prison. She's going to fight it."

"What?!" Tails yelled. Knuckles staggered back, and started pacing. Tails and Amy began to talk over each other, trying to come up with a solid plan to save her before she killed herself. As everyone proceeded to freak out, Shadow stared at the group with little contempt. He huffed and looked away.

C. Sonic glared at him. "Why are you not worried about this?!" The cyborg asked.

"She's not a teammate of mine. Her death is not a liability to me."

Not another word was uttered in the room. The faces of Team Sonic were now snapped to attention, disturbed and offended by Shadow's comment. C. Sonic grit his teeth, making a loud screeching noise. "You..." C. Sonic stood up and pushed Shadow aggressively. "I can't believe I thought you were even a part of his team!"

Shadow growled, baring his fangs. "Considering the fact that you have no more use to us in this plan, I think a little tussle between us is more than overdue."

"I do have to pay you back for the dent you made to my wrist! Let's go!"

"STOP!" Knuckles finally screamed, pushing his way between the two fighting hedgehogs. "Please, just stop. Sticks is all alone out there, and we have to find her and save her before something bad happens." He stared at Shadow for a moment. Ruby battled amethyst.

Finally, the ebony hedgehog gave in and sighed. "Fine. I don't have the time for this."

"...Yeah." C. Sonic said. "Let's start searching. She shouldn't be far from her little house, right?"

"Actually, y-you'd be surprised at how fast she can be. She's probably at the site right now, as we speak-"

Something knocked loudly on the workshop door. It opened a smidge, and a bloody hand used slipped inside, gripping at the wall. It was used as leverage to pull the body it was attached to inside.

Amy screamed.

There stood Sticks, covered in what looked like puncture wounds and a gaping hole was where her stomach should have been. Bloody rags that once belonged to her shirt hung limply around it.

"Help..." Sticks fell forward. Blood poured out around her in pools.

"STICKS!" Tails cried out. He ran over and turned her onto her back. "Somebody help me get her to a hospital!"

"I can do that!" C. Sonic took Sticks' body into his arms "Where's the nearest one?"

"About 5 miles north from the village center." Tails stammered.

"I'll call you when I get there." C. Sonic soared into the air, rocketing away at ludicrous speeds. The entire workshop was once more silent, to the point you could hear a paper clip drop. Tails stayed on his knees, shivering, trying to take in what just happened.

"Idiot badger." Shadow spoke up. "She tried to do the one thing I warned everyone not to-"

"YOU SHUT UP!" Knuckles punched Shadow in the cheek, launching him across the room. He slammed into a cabinet, denting the metal. Knuckles was seething, his eyes bloodshot. "YOU DO _NOT_ GET TO SAY THOSE THINGS ABOUT MY FRIENDS! I'M SICK OF YOU BEING MEAN TO US! I'M SICK OF TRYING TO BE NICE TO YOU!"

"Knuckles!" Tails interjected, but he was cut off by a sudden red bolt hitting the echidna in the chest. Knuckles staggered backwards, and let out an animalistic growl. He charged, slamming into Shadow and punting the both of them through the wall.

"Just stop. Please." Amy's voice went unheard, as she held onto Sonic's hand and sobbed. She was nearing her mental limit.

Tails curled his namesakes around himself, his forehead on his knees.

C. Sonic burst into the hospital. Doctors rushed towards him and transported the badger onto a gurney, wheeling her away for intensive surgery. "Penetrating abdominal wound, multiple punctures," he could hear them saying. C. Sonic sighed, leaning against a wall and raised his communicator bracelet to his mouth, activating a call back to Roboken.

"Heya, lad!" Mighton greeted him, his audio loud and gruff. "What's going on? Did ya manage to go into the other Sonic's mind yet?"

"Yeah. It went okay." He said. "But some other problems arose."

At the same time, Knuckles screamed in pain, his namesake bleeding profusely. A heavily injured Shadow teleported away in a flash of blue.


	20. Tomorrow, Written in Comic Sans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From now on, C. Sonic will be referred to as Cy-Sonic.

"Somebody?! Please..."

Sonic was all alone in his head. He was in a nightmarish sort of dreamscape. Surrounding were fleshy walls, and snaking up those walls was the veins of his infection. They beat irregularly, annoying the poor hedgehog.

"Gotta remember...gotta remember...gotta remember the plan..." He patted a fist to his head. "Gotta remember!"

The world around him turned dark, and he saw ebony branches bursting from the ground toward him.

"I JUST WANT TO REMEMBER! PLEASE!" He cried. Then he was in a void of nothing, as his body fell into a deep sleep.

A day passed.

Sticks was currently stable, but not at all out of the woods. She had major damage to her optical regions, and she required a full intestinal transplant. Her entire body was wrapped in bandages to keep her puncture wounds from infecting. The fact her spine was still intact was a miracle from God.

Knuckles had apparently punched Shadow so hard his jawbone was torn loose. In response, he had completely and brutally torn off the echidna's knuckle-spikes to the bone. Knuckles would need a prosthetic replacement.

Afterwards, Shadow had disappeared, and consequently appeared to have left their little doomsday team. To the happiness of some and the worriment of others.

Tails had completely shut down. He didn't leave Sonic's side, and Amy had to make sure he was eating and such. Occasionally, he would be sketching out plans in his book for some kind of sniper rifle, and refused to explain why.

Sonic was still asleep. Once in a while he'd mutter something, or have a 5-second screaming fit, but otherwise he was unresponsive. His infection had also gotten much worse, now wrapping around his elbows and knees, and fully covering his back.

Cy-Sonic decided it would be better if he stayed a little longer, helping out Amy. He washed some of the cups she had laid out previously for Tails, the glass clinking together in the soapy sink. He glanced at Amy, who's hardworking attitude reminded him so much of his own robotic girlfriend up in Roboken. He was surprised that she hadn't confessed her painfully obvious feelings yet to her Sonic. After drying off the tableware, he sat down next to her on the couch. "You look tired. Doing okay?"

"I'm fine." She lied.

"Nah, you take five. Okay?" Cy-Sonic lightly clapped her on the back. Amy closed her eyes and let her back fall to the couch's pillows, succumbing to the sleep her body desperately needed. Satisfied, Cy-Sonic went to check on the two brothers.

A napping Tails laid curled up beside Sonic, and holding onto his brother's hands. Sonic was asleep too but panting, his brows furrowed.

"So, uh..." Cy-Sonic began, "Knuckles is choosing the prosthetics for his hands. He'll get to pick any color he wants. Pretty cool, huh?"

There was no response.

Cy-Sonic groaned. "This is boring. You're boring. Please wake up soon, Flesh Me." _You know, I've been thinking about calling my whole team for backup when we go to kill the DMO. Been a while since we fought side-by-side._

"Hey, I'm back." Knuckles opened the door. "How's everyone?"

"We're doing good!" Cy-Sonic said, sauntering up to him. "Just a little sleepy. Your hands okay?"

"...Yeah, they will be." He looked longingly at the nubs where his spikes used to be. They had to sand the rest of them off to provide a proper placement for the prosthetics. Bandages had been wrapped around them, faint red spots marking where the bone marrow had bled. "I...I'm gonna be honest. I don't feel great."

Cy-Sonic nodded. He didn't protest when Knuckles suddenly came at him with a hug. Then his communicator blipped, a familiar tone that let him know who was about to bombard him with questions. Once Knuckles let go, he opened the call. "Hey dude!"

"Sonic!" Cyborg Tails yelled out. "It's so good to hear you! It's been kinda boring up here without you."

"I can imagine! Uh...how, how are you?"

"You're not fooling me, Sonic. I know when you're lying about being happy. What happened?"

Cy-Sonic slowly began to explain what happened. He could hear the whirring of Cy-Tails' gears through the mic, taking this all in. Finally, Cy-Tails said quietly "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sure we're gonna be okay."

"Can we do anything?"

"Well, I was hoping you could come down and maybe help us when we go to kill the virus, but..." He glanced at Knuckles downcast form, sitting next to an exhausted Amy, and the two brothers dead asleep in the other room. "That might not be for a while."

"Okay. Just call us back if you need anything, okay? Amy misses you."

Cy-Sonic chuckled. "I'm sure she does. See ya."

"Sonic's up, Sonic's up!" A shrill voice yelled.

Cy-Sonic whipped his head towards Sonic's bed, and saw he _was_ awake this time. His emerald eyes were lily pads among a sea of white. Tails, now awake as well, smiled happily. Amy nearly tripped over her own feet trying to get to him, while Knuckles peeked around the corner silently.

His breathing was hoarse, and _loud_. Like a jet plane that caught on fire. His entire body shivered with each intake of air.

"Sonic, how are you? Do you feel okay?" She asked. "You need some water?"

He didn't answer coherently. He just looked at her, a quizzical expression crossing his face. He scratched at his throat, and let out a loud, dry cough. He then yanked away the covers and began to climb out of bed, succeeding only in landing on the floor unimpressively.

Amy and Tails pulled him back into the bed. "Just stay here, I promise it's better for you."

Sonic just stared inexplicably. Like a deer in headlights.

"How about I get you a snack, too? You've been asleep for 24 hours straight, you're probably really hungry." Amy stood back up and left his little corner, giving Knuckles a soft look when she passed him. Sonic's eyes followed her to the kitchen, staring as if he'd never seen somebody grab a bag of kettle chips and a drink before.

He jumped when Knuckles sat down by the bed. "So, uh, guess what?" The burly Mobian showed off his injured hands. "I'm gonna be getting myself some cool titanium spikes soon!"

Sonic blinked, then took Knuckles' hands into his own, inspecting them like a child. Faintly, he whined.

"I'm okay, don't worry. Me and Shadow just got into a fight. He won't be coming back here, don't worry. We can save you all by ourselves."

The azure hedgehog didn't respond. He kept turning Knuckles' palms over and over, his finger barely tracing over the bandage. Sonic hiccuped, and shoved Knuckles' hands back at him.

"Woah, hey, it's going to be okay. You won't even know the difference! I'm gonna get a paint job and everything."

Sonic started to crawl out of bed again, but Tails pressed a hand against his chest. "No, you just stay right here." Sonic curled his hands into fists and hit the mattress. He wore an uneasy frown.

"Is he usually this quiet waking up?" Cy-Sonic asked, breaking the silence.

A lightbulb went off in Sonic's head, and he started making an odd squiggling motion with his fingers. Everyone else stared in confusion, just as Amy came back with a bowl of corn chips and a glass of fresh water (mixed with some of Sticks' plant cell cure). Sonic's eyes widened and he reached for the drink she held. Cy-Sonic took it and helped him take a drink, his blue hands shaking. As soon as he was finished, he snatched the bowl away from her, then started sifting through it's contents.

"I guess I was right about your appetite, huh?" She said, amused. Sonic, however, shook his head.

He began to lay out the corn chips onto the bed. It was an odd work of art. Lots of curves and arches and random lines.

"Wait a second." Cy-Sonic scanned the masterpiece. "That's a message! He's writing out a message!"

Tails moved carefully off the bed. Everyone watched breathlessly as Sonic continued. It was like a trance. Then, he seemed satisfied with his work, and sat back up.

_It hurts can't speak_

Miles away, Shadow sat in his cave. His communicator laid broken on the ground. The glowing writing all over the walls was making him sick. He closed his eyes, scraping away the 50th version of the plan he wanted to go through with. The only good thing going for him was that his sore jaw was almost done healing, and any fractured bones were fixed by now.

The Death Machine. He had to kill it. He had to save him. He had to prove himself. But how? He couldn't go back to the group. Not after what happened with Knuckles. They'd never trust him again. Sonic would never trust him again. Part of him wanted to earn that trust back. The other part of him knew it was too late.

Shadow began to scribble out another plan in the dirt.


	21. Trust in Distrust

His breathing sounded like an animal was slowly dying. ...That wasn't far from the truth.

Amy sat by Sonic's little bed. She couldn't ignore it anymore. He looked so sickly, so dead. Like the way they had found him after that climactic battle with Eggman, but somehow worse. His ribs were showing, his eyes watering. His irregular breathing, the way his fingers shook when he moved them. It was like he had been aged forward 200 years.

When Sticks' concoction worked, they had hope. Now that hope was starting to fade. Even with the infection's spread at a snail's pace, Sonic's body was too hurt to heal itself anymore. An empty plate of food that was soon to be hurled back up sat on the nightstand. Mocking her.

She let her mind wander to a recent memory.

_"So he can't speak. He can't eat. Can't even walk a few centimeters before falling. What's next, he can't drink?! Can't breathe?!" Cy-Sonic asked exasperatedly._

I'm scared. _Sonic wrote out on the notepad Amy had given him. His writing was janky, and looked on par with Knuckles' printing._

_"It's okay, we're going to fix this." Tails nodded to himself. "Uh...Cy-Sonic, Knuckles, come with me, I have some ideas." He gave them a knowing glance, and the two knew he was talking about their infiltration. Cy-Sonic put his hands up behind his head in a resting pose._

_"What about Shadow? Is jerkface not going-"_

_"He's no longer a part of the plan." Tails snapped. "He made his choice. It's up to us now."_

Amy shivered, pulling her hands around herself. She felt something cold touch her leg, and saw Sonic was trying to get her attention.

"You need anything?" She asked him quietly, handing him the notepad just out of reach.

Fumbling for the pencil, he scribbled down " _r u ok_ ".

Ha. How sweet. Amy debated on wether or not she should lie. It would take away some of his anxiety, sure, but she was so tired of having to bottle up everything. She could at least be truthful about it. "...No. I don't think any of us are."

_I want to remember_

"I do too. We're going to fix this. You'll remember all of us." Amy wiped a tear from her eye. "Then it'll be like nothing happened."

Sonic started to pull away the covers. His legs shifted towards the edge of the bed.

"Oh no. You're not going anywhere." Amy pushed him back into the mattress. "You stay right here."

"...Nnnh." He whimpered, trying to argue with her.

"Shh. If you have anything to say, you gotta write it down. I don't want you hurting yourself any more."

He scowled at her, then scoffed.

The phone suddenly rang. Amy put a hand on Sonic's head when she got up to make sure he'd stay in place. "I'll get that, don't worry." Walking to the kitchen, she pulled the cord-less phone from it's hanging pedestal and pressing it up to her ear. "Prower Residence. This is Amy Rose. Can I help you?"

She listened to somebody speak for a few minutes, then dropped the phone to the ground with a clatter. She fell to the floor, and began sobbing.

"Aaahm!" Sonic tried to say her name. His throat felt like it was being tossed into a woodchipper. "Ahm-" He erupted into a series of bloody coughs, faint drops staining his palm. He stared at it with a horrified expression, and folded his ears back.

A loud thwack brought Knuckles and Cy-Sonic to attention. Tails held a large stick up to the whiteboard, and adjusted his goggles for the lack of glasses.

"Cy-Sonic will call his team down for support. Since you're not organic on the outside, it shouldn't hurt you or even care. But if our plan works, I should be able to fire a shot of pure plant matter into the original strain." He pointed to a sketch of a sniper rifle. "That should keep it from being able to do anything, and we'll finally have our chance to completely destroy it. We just...have to find out how exactly to do that."

Cy-Sonic raised his hand. "We could really use Shadow's-"

Tails broke the measuring stick he held with a hard _snap_. "No, we don't."

"Listen I know he hurt Knuckles but we need him for this! And trust me, I hate the guy!" Cy-Sonic argued. "If he tries anything I'll stop him. But this is a matter of life or death. Flesh Me doesn't have long, maybe a few days at most. Have you heard his heartbeat? It's getting weaker every second."

Tails growled, then threw the broken halves of the measuring stick onto the floor. "You know what? Knuckles was the one hurt by him. Not me. What does you think, then?"

The echidna stared for a moment, before realizing that was his cue. "Oh, me? I mean...yeah he...broke the one thing that made me...me." He looked solemnly at his hands, before taking a deep breath and broadening his shoulders. "But right now Sonic is what matters. I can give Shadow payback some other time. I hate saying this, but we need him."

Tails flinched. Knuckles was being so...poetic. He looked down, trying to hold back fresh tears, before turning around and hiding his face from view of the others.

"Just find him. Bring him back. Whatever it takes."

Amy sat back in her chair next to Sonic's bed. The shell of a hero stared sorrowfully, holding out his most recent message:

_What did they tell you?_

The pink hedgehog sniffed, running her fingers through her quills to calm down. "Sonic, do you remember Sticks?"

_I think u talked about her_

_She was a friend right?_

"Yeah. She...she went to try and deal with the virus that's killing you. But she got very, very hurt. She's..."

"Dead...?" Sonic croaked. It was so quiet, more than a whisper, more than the flapping of a butterfly's wings. But Amy knew exactly what he was saying.

She shook her head. "No. She's just asleep. I don't know when, or if, she'll wake up."

_coma ?_

"Yeah, Sonic. She's in a coma." Amy began to cry again. "She's my best friend and there's nothing I can do to help her...I should have known something was up when she last came here! Why else would she have visited us?!"

_Not ur fault_

"I know. But I could have done something!" Amy put her head in her hands. "I'm so tired, Sonic. I'm so tired of letting everyone down. Maybe I could have even saved you. If we never took the trip to that cave, you never would have gotten infected. I should have realized sooner..." She started to wail. Amy had reached her limit. She had so much pressure on her since the start of all this, and she was finally letting it break her. The world was fuzzy, barely visible through her tears.

She didn't even notice Sonic pulling her in for a hug.


	22. Back to the Cave

Amy briefed her teammates on Sticks' condition. All it did was harden their hearts more for the battle. Then she volunteered to help Cy-Sonic find Shadow again, stating she could get through to him without much violence. She was so sure, Cy-Sonic couldn't say no.

"Alright, if I was an angsty edgelord with a violent temper, where would I hide out?" Cy-Sonic asked to himself. Thankfully, it didn't take long to find him using a quick scan. In a cave, far north from a mountain, he could feel trace energy signatures similar to Shadow's. Picking Amy up by his wrists, Cy-Sonic activated his jets and flew several miles in several seconds. He and the organic hedgehog landed, the latter stumbling onto the grass, a few yards from the entrance of a dank cave.

"This is the place." Amy said, brushing off her dress.

"...Cozy." Cy-Sonic scrunched up his nose with a creak of metal. "You stay out here. I'm going in."

"No. I'm going in first. If we get into a fight, that's when you do your hero thing." She reminded the trigger-happy cyborg. "It's what we agreed on, remember?"

"...Fine." He crossed his arms and pouted. Amy stood tall and walked into the cave, her footsteps echoing against the obsidian walls.

"Shadow, I know you're in here. I'm just here to talk."

Shadow was a lot closer to her than she thought. With a silent whoosh of air, his head whipped up, his red eyes flashing. Amy flinched when she saw the blood-red orbs shining in the pitch dark.

"Come crawling back, have you?" Shadow spat out.

"Bold of you to say that, since _you_ were the one who ran away from the last fight." Amy found herself saying. It wasn't a smart move at all, as she soon found herself being lifted into the air by a single hand on her collar. She didn't want to call Cy-Sonic just yet. She still had a chance to reason with him.

"I could kill you here. Right now." Shadow growled. "I could snap your body in half and nobody would ever find your remains."

"You and I both know those are just empty threats." Amy said. "You'd never do that."

"Try me." His grip tightened, and Amy found her dress was hugging her neck a little too tight. She managed to get a few breaths of air in before continuing.

"The reason you ran away after hurting Knuckles. You were scared. Scared of what we might do or say to you. Right?"

Shadow scowled. She was right. Amy put a hand on his-not to try and shake it off, but to reassure him she was on his side. "Shadow. Right now we need to work together to save Sonic. Everyone agrees that we need you."

"But _I_ don't need _you_."

"Yes you do, you're just scared! Scared we'll never accept you!" Amy gasped, her throat squeezed tighter. "Scared of what's going to happen between us after all the mistakes you made!"

"I'm _not_ scared! Especially not because of you! You think I honestly care what fools like you think?!"

"Then why are you so adamant on saving Sonic?! You could have killed him already and be done with the virus. But you didn't! Clearly he means something to you, even if the rest of us don't!"

"No he DOESN'T!" Shadow exclaimed.

"THEN KILL HIM ALREADY AND PROVE ME WRONG!" Amy sniped back, her voice higher in volume.

"I CAN'T!"

"WHY NOT?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, DAMN IT!" Shadow screamed. "THERE! I SAID IT! ARE YOU HAPPY?!"

Amy stared breathlessly. She was not jealous, nor angry from the revelation. She was confused. Shadow...liked Sonic that way? How had she been unable to pick up it that before?

He dropped Amy to the ground, tears starting to flow down his cheeks. "...You of all people should know that I'd do anything to save the person I loved the most."

"Shadow..."

Something clicked for Shadow, and his gaze grew menacing once again. "Rose. You listen, and listen closely." Shadow knelt down and leaned in. His hot breath was on her face, and she could see his fangs salivating behind his lips. "You tell anyone about this-"

"I won't." She said, before Shadow could say anything else. "Just as you said, I know what it's like to love someone. I won't tell a soul."

Shadow furrowed his brows. He seemed disoriented from her willingly going along with whatever he said; without any threats. He then scoffed, wiped the tears off his muzzle and stood back up. "You didn't come alone, did you?"

"No. Cy-Sonic is outside, just in case things got rough between us."

Ruby orbs narrowed, but otherwise Shadow was quiet. He solemnly followed her out, where Cy-Sonic quickly turned off a portable game he had in his systems to keep himself occupied. "So...are we all friends again?"

And ebony hand jammed into his metallic shoulder, but other than that Shadow was pliant. What followed was a long, silent, and rather uncomfortable journey back to Tails' house. Amy noticed Shadow's eyes kept flickering towards Cy-Sonic, and she quickly picked up on the fact he was worried his confession had been a little too loud. She placed a hand gently on his shoulder, making Shadow flinch, but soon he eased into her comforting touch. He was safe. His confession was between the two of them.

They opened the front door of the fox's cottage, and were greeted with a terrifying and confusing sight.

"What the hell?!"

Sonic was in the middle of the living room, roaring without a clear voice as blood dripped from his eyes and mouth. He was being held back by Tails and Knuckles, snarling like some altered beast, hands clawing at Tails' small frame in an attempt to push him back. There were some deep scratches in the kit's orange fur, painful to look at but thankfully not bleeding. 

The hedgehog's pupils were pinpoints, and darting around at ridiculous speeds. He was salivating, fangs bared, and he suddenly took a bite at Tails' ear. The fox screeched in pain, doubling back. Knuckles grabbed him and held him up, Sonic kicking and wrangling. It was almost like watching a feral cat.

"Tails!" Amy knelt down beside the Kit, his ear red from the bite. Thankfully it was only a sharp nip, and there was no blood. "Tails, what's going on?" The fox waved her off and stood up, making several gestures that provided nothing to the conversation.

"I gave him something to eat about an hour ago, and now he's just stood up and began walking around on his own!" Tails explained. "He won't tell me where he's going! And he's bleeding! A-and he's gotten really aggressive!"

That was true, as Sonic was trying to bite Knuckles' arm much to the echidna's annoyance.

"Th-this could be another side effect. Have you given him any more of Sticks' medicine?!" Amy asked.

"I have! It's not working!"

Cy-Sonic scoffed. "What do you mean it isn't working?! If that's the case then our whole gig-"

"No! We can still..." Tails panted. "I don't _know_."

"The medicine is working fine. We're just out of time." Shadow said plainly, not taking his eyes off Sonic. He walked over, raising a hand to Sonic's face, and he stopped flailing. Tentatively, Sonic sniffed Shadow's hand.

Then he opened his mouth wide and bore down, but Shadow stopped him before any damage could be done. Using only one hand he held Sonic's mouth open, and a serious of hoarse whimpers emanated from the back of the blue's throat.

"I've seen this before. We need to do our...planned dance, now." Shadow whispered. "Cy-Sonic. You told him the signal to do his part, right?" _While you were in his mind?_ He added silently with a harsh look.

"Yeah. ...I think. I did. It's when Tails makes a certain sound or something. That's his cue for the 'party'."

"Alright. Then let's move." Shadow let go, the aggravated Hedgehog's fangs failing to reach his hand. "We do it now."


	23. Entirely from My Point of View

**3 Hours Earlier**

Who was I?

I could barely remember.

Flashes of a speedy, cocky hero came into my mind. Somebody chill, with dry delivery and a snarky smile.

I was not that hero. Not anymore, at least.

I felt lost. Cold. Exhausted. Terrified. People surrounded me who said they were my friends, but I didn't even know their faces. Something in my heart told me they were right, but...in the end, I just had to trust them. Like a blind hoglet. 

I hated feeling so vulnerable, that I knew. I hated not being able to move. My legs were always twitching, and the urges to get out of bed and run to the hills and back were only hindered by the fact I could barely turn my head without seeing stars. My hands trembled like an old man's. I hated this. I hated that the food I ate never seemed to stay down.

I watched, my vision fading from fuzzy to dark, as the fox-Miles, was that his name?-tended to me. I had a faint semblance of security looking at him. But I still didn't remember who he was. He said he was my brother, but...how can a hedgehog and fox be brothers? It made little sense.

At least he was kind. I was cared for by kind people. Miss Rose, Knuckles, that...odd metallic Mobian that looked and sounded like me. He may have been a hallucination. And somebody named Sticks. Miss Rose said she was hurt. I wish I could have done something to help her. And that odd fellow with dark fur and red stripes. I couldn't remember his name. But I could remember feeling his soft hand caressing my forehead.

Maybe he was a hallucination too. I haven't seen him anywhere.

Knuckles, despite his hurt hands I had pondered on earlier, was feeding me soup. I hated it. Spoon-fed like a baby. I wasn't a child, I could take care of myself all on my own! That's what I wanted to think, anyway. Despite his large size, the red...uh...I couldn't remember his species. Enchilada? Either way, he was much kinder and gentler than one would think. When I'd break out into fits of crying because of this horrible pain that wouldn't go away he was always there to comfort me.

Holding me like some baby.

I hated it, yet I yearned for it.

Right now he was showing me something...spiky. Like a spiked fisticuff? He actually had two of them, one colored a rose gold and the other a brownish-red.

"Which one do you think?" He said. It was muffled to me.

I nudged the rose gold one. It reminded me of Miss Rose, and that was comforting. Knuckles beamed, and slipped it over his hand. "I like the way this one looks. It's like gold, but more 'me'!"

I nodded as if I was listening.

"Oh! By the way, I got my bandages off. Wanna see?" He moved away the prosthetic, and the front of his hand came closer to my face. I squinted, seeing some scars akin to burns and two odd nubs below his fingers, metal caps glued onto them.

I mumbled something softly. My eyes began fluttering, and I fought to stay awake.

"Aww, you sleepy, bro?" Knuckles asked. "Don't worry. You were always good at taking power naps."

...Nap. That word sounded nice to me, but I didn't know why. I closed my bleary eyes, and a soft red hand rested on my head. Gently scratching behind my ears. So nice and comforting. And a voice? It was moving up and down like a...song! That's it.

In my dream, I relived one of the only clear memories I still had.

_Mama was petting my head. Her gentle sky blue fur against my own. Her spines were slicked back and curled around her face, and a ruby red ribbon was wrapped around her neck. She had these gorgeous brown overalls that spoke like she was the queen of the farmlands. Green eyes that matched my own stared adoringly down at me, even though I was so sickly you'd barely recognize me as the hyperactive kid everyone else knew. I whilst submerged in blankets, coughed for the hundredth time that day. It was wet, and felt disgusting against my throat._

_"Mama...I can't sleep. It hurts too much."_

_"I know, baby. The flu stinks, huh?" The smell of her akebi fruit perfume was intoxicating, like a chocolate bar that you couldn't eat due to it's beauty. "But I may have something to make it better." Her hand shifted to my fuzzy cheek, cradling it. I weakly pressed into her palm. Her fingers were so soft._

_"...What is it?" I asked wearily._

_She answered with a song. "If you're strong, you can fly, you can reach the other side of the rainbow..." Her voice was like sweet honey, lulling my sorry self to slumber. "It's all right, take a chance, 'cause there is no circumstance that you can't handle..."_

_I remember smiling, and she kissed my head. It left a lipstick mark that I discovered later that day, but I didn't mind._

_Then my dream shifted. She and I were standing on the beach, wading in the water. I was scared to go any further out, but her comforting expression soothed me. The smell of salty air was all around us._

_"It's alright, you can do it." She said to me, holding out her hand. Tentatively, I reached for it. With a sudden swoop I was in her arms as she sat cross-legged into the water, holding me close as half my tiny body was submerged. I held tight, but loosened my grip as tiny crabs and starfish crawled around us._

_"See?" She smiled, holding my hand. "The ocean can be beautiful too."_

_Then I was watching her from around a corner. It was night. I was supposed to be in bed. She had a cup of red juice in one hand, and was staring at a picture of Papa. She was crying, taking occasional sips from the glass. She smelled like grapes. My nose wrinkled and burned._

_One day she came up to me and hugged me. She apologized for not being that good of a mom, and that she was working on being better. I said she was a fine mother, and asked her why she felt like she wasn't a good one. She just wiped away a tear from her stained muzzle and pat my head._

_I was older. There was a crashing sound while I was playing guitar in my room. I ran downstairs to see if Mama was okay. Beside her was a bottle filled with more of that burning grape juice adults called "wine". I knelt down beside her, careful not to touch any of the shards of glass. "Mama! Mama, what happened?"_

_People came to our house and brought her to a white building with white walls and white furniture. She was in a bed, holding my hand. "I'm sorry...I tried to be good...but I wasn't."_

_"What are you saying, Mama? You've been a great mom! You make me food, and teach me to play guitar, and help me with my homework-"_

_"That's not it, baby." She said. She looked like I did when I had the flu all those years ago, only worse. Her sunken green eyes had lost the shine they once had. Her perfume no longer trailed from her, replaced with the smell of wine and sickening cleaning products you'd find in a hospital. Her frail body, once full of life, sat on the bed like a useless weight. "I'm so sorry. I...I may not be able to be your Mama anymore."_

_"That's not true! You're my mama and that's final! Nobody can replace you!"_

_"But somebody can take better care of you..." She trailed off. Sniffling, she turned her head towards the window. "I hope you can forgive me, Sonic."_

Then I woke up again, this time to Miles. Back to my horrible and blackened reality. I wished life were as simple as it used to be. But Miles gave me a sense of comfort like Mama did, only more...what's the word? Friendly rather than maternal. So, I mustered a soft smile. Miles' lips were moving, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. I was still hearing...something, though.

...Wait.

Somebody _was_ talking to me, but I couldn't see them. It wasn't Miles, the voice was too deep. Knuckles didn't sound as cruel in tone as that. Who...?

**COMMAND RETURN.**

Suddenly, something snapped. It was like I had fallen into sleep and then suddenly woke up. But...it wasn't _me_ who was awake. I could hear faint roars, faint snarls, sounds of teeth gnashing.

I don't think I'm in control anymore.


	24. animal.

"Damn it, hedgehog." Shadow cursed as he wrangled the snarling animal onto a handtruck. It was almost demeaning; blindfolded and forcibly deafened with headphones, not to mention his shoes and socks had been kicked off during the initial ruckus. Sonic thrashed, trying to bite Shadow with crazed eyes. He missed each time due to Shadow's superior reflexes. "Don't make me sedate you." The latter growled, clamping the last lock into place.

"Don't tell me that my trip into his..." Cy-Sonic caught himself in case the virus could still somehow hear him. "Er, into his place was for nothing."

"No. We can still utilize the material." Tails said, not as concerned with secrets. "We need some of the brain scans to make the Core docile enough to reveal itself. For a good shot." He raised his specially-made rifle and cocked it. Somehow the fifteen year old's aura turned into that of an experienced warrior.

Knuckles fitted his new prosthetics onto his hands. After a few punches in the air, he seemed satisfied with how they weighed. Amy then directed him to a large stone, and he threw a hook onto it's hard surface. The rock cracked, and Knuckles staggered back from the blow.

"You okay?" Amy asked.

"Yeah. Just not used to the kickback quite yet. It's different when it's not connected to your body."

Amy put a hand on his broad shoulder. "Don't worry. After your drilling surgery you shouldn't be able to tell the difference."

Knuckles shrugged. "I sure hope so." He noticed Sonic being wheeled out, along with Tails carrying a huge pack. Inside contained all the supplies they'd need for their plan. His rifle was wrapped around his torso like that Bambo guy's bullet chains.

"We're going to save you, Sonic. I promise." The kit said to his brother. Secured and tied down, Sonic could only growl and bare his fangs. "I know you're still in there." He added quietly.

Several streams of silver passed over them, and three machines dropped to the ground in a superhero fashion. As the smoke cleared, they revealed themselves to be Cy-Amy, Cy-Knuckles, and Cy-Sticks. (Cy-Tails had stayed behind as support for possible attacks on Roboken.)

"I knew they'd make it in time!" Cy-Sonic beamed.

Cy-Amy caught sight of Cy-Sonic and ran to him, taking his digits into her own. "I've missed you!" She suddenly grabbed Cy-Sonic by the metallic shoulders and kissed him fervently.

 _Very_ fervently.

The others stood in slight shock, and Amy thought a pebble on the ground was a very interesting thing to look at.

Cy-Sonic finally pushed her off, gently. "Hey, I love you too but, maybe, not in front of everyone else." He added with a sharp whisper. Cy-Amy realized there was a crowd, and then took notice of the snarling blue hedgehog on the wheelie. His blindfold, the horrid black lines all over his skin and fur! They crawled down to his ankles and wrists, like ropes strangling him. She peered at the poor hedgehog, eyebrows pursed together in a discomforted expression. "Am I looking at the same Flesh Sonic...?"

"It's really creepy when you say that, y'know." stated "Flesh" Amy.

"I know. But it's the same when you say 'cyborg me', so we're even." Cy-Amy shrugged. "Tails, or Cy-Tails rather, told us everything. But this," She motioned to Sonic's state with a whir of her hands, "was not what he said."

"He's gone into the final stage. All his instincts are that of the Death Machine." Shadow muttered with disdain. "It wants to destroy everything, and return to it's original core with the nutrients it's obtained from Sonic. So...the victim turns into this until it re-assimilates."

"That thing gives all of us on Roboken a bad name." Cy-Knux straightened his bolo tie. "I'm totally down for taking it...welp, down."

"And you said it hurt my fleshy counterpart!" Cy-Sticks growled. "We're basically sisters. So I'm gonna avenge her, whatever it takes!" From her arm, a long bō unfolded, and she brandished it with a fury that would rival Eggman's on a really bad day.

"The gang's all here." Shadow said, either amusingly or mockingly. "Let's go. Amy?"

"Leading the way." She hefted her hammer and began walking.

It was a silent march. Like a squadron knowing they were going to die, but following orders anyway. Stone cold were their faces, and hardened were their hearts. Only the cores of their souls had softened with the love and friendship they had for Sonic. Struggling in his chains.

Cy-Sonic noticed his love's emotional levels were rising and falling at random heights. He nudged her waist a bit with his own, and her attention was quickly on him. Quietly, he sent a radio message to her, so only the two of them could talk.

" _What's wrong, Ames?_ " Cy-Sonic asked his mechanical girlfriend. " _I can tell you're not doing well._ "

" _Me? Nothing. Just seeing them. Our counterparts, I mean._ " Cy-Amy pondered. " _Seeing Flesh Amy so tired and full of anger. And Flesh Sonic is, well, I don't know. He isn't the same guy who gave you life that day._ " She looked into Cy-Sonic's digital green eyes, as if trying to imagine the same feral demeanor on her beloved. " _I know we've become quite different and distinct from our originals. But it's still a little disturbing._ "

" _I get that completely._ "

" _Just...just in case we don't get out of this alive..._ " Cy-Amy said, her brows furrowing to match her internal feelings.

" _We will! I know it. We're gonna save the world and be back in time for dinner._ "

" _I know._ " Cy-Amy curled her digits around Cy-Sonic's hand. " _Please don't be ridiculously confident during our fight, okay?_ "

Cy-Sonic nodded. He looked forward again, and the mouth of the cave loomed before them. It sung with an empty melody, mist flowing in and out of the rocks.

Amy smashed her weapon into the boulders blocking them, and a thin path was created for them. Walking in a single file, they contained onward until a patch of light was just up ahead.

Amy motioned for everyone to stop.

"Remember your tasks. Your signals. Everyone get to the sides of the walls. Stay quiet. I'd advise you not to breathe through your mouth." 

Everyone got into position, and they inched closer towards the broken and ancient door. A few rocks something their vision, but they could clearly see an colorful object inside. Shadow was the only one still on the path, wheeling Sonic. He stopped 2 yards from the door.

 _Let him out._ Tails mouthed, readying his rifle.

Shadow undid the restraints. Sonic was on the ground, wheezing like an animal, scrambling to get up but unfamiliar with the rock beneath his paws. Shadow motioned for everyone to be quiet once more, and took off the headphones and blindfold. With a quiet flash, he vanished into the darkness where Sonic couldn't see.

Sonic was left alone in front of the entrance. He panted, then realized where he was, and stood up. He seemed to debate on wether or not he should go through with this, actually meeting the machine. Then there was a sound like something bubbling. He snapped his head up, the Death Machine in clear view.

It shifted, waves rippling across the Machine's skin as it began to open up in the middle. Like a shark's maw, more and more layers folded out until it was this spinning, rotating _thing_. Then several long tendrils stretched across the room, forming some haphazardly constructed tunnel towards the Core.

" **RETURN.** " It said.

Sonic took a step forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be released on Oct. 21st or after.


	25. I Kill, You Die

Tails let out a quiet clicking noise, and Cy-Knuckles activated the brainwave-broadcaster. The clicks echoed throughout the cave, and had Sonic stop for just a microsecond. His ear turned towards Tails, and his demeanor began to soften.

The Machine noticed, and began to shake.

" **RETURN.** " It repeated.

Cy-Knuckles sent out several patterns, like "understand", "empty mind", and "homesick".

Sonic wavered, then began walking once more. More were sent out, quietly and not as powerful as the initial three. "want", "returning", "death of a body".

Right in front of him, the glittering core shimmered with red, pink, and other disgusting colors mixed together; much different than the rest of it's form. Tails realized that must be the core. He looked to Shadow, who gave him a quiet nod. Tails silently pulled up the scope and aimed, Cy-Knuckles helping him stay balanced.

It was astounding that the main problem for the past two weeks was right in the center of the crosshairs. All Tails had to do was press down on the trigger. Then this would all be over. Just another story to tell at dinner parties. That is, if he could get the smell out of his nose.

Sonic reached out to it, his finger grazing the surface.

Tails fired.

The bullet, filled with Sticks' nature potions and laced with some gunpowder for good measure, went sailing. It soared across the room in the span of a second, and hit the core. Just above Sonic's nail.

There was a screech like no other, like all of Hell was rising from the Earth to give a collective scream of pain. The machine suddenly dropped to the floor, mushy and slimy. It pooled out in loads, nearly drowning the room. Tails looked up, shivering, and wondered if they finally managed to do it.

Cy-Sonic smiled. There was no movement from it. It was just a mass of guts and bones.

Amy wanted to cry. Sonic still stood in the center of the room, ready to recover and get the dead virus extracted from his frail body. She began to call out for him...

"Wait!" Her cybernetic counterpart yelled. "I'm sensing some life signs!" She paused, and snapped her head up. "It was a-!"

Then the mass of matter exploded to lengths it shouldn't have, bursting into the tunnel and knocking Tails' rifle away. It spat out a tiny, dead sliver of itself, the decoy Tails had shot, and began to pull everyone in. Several screams of fear, disbelief and anger filled the room. Sonic was quickly pulled into the center, and suddenly disappeared from view.

"SONIC!" Tails screamed.

"I got this!" Shadow skated past him, purposefully letting the jets burn the Machine. While it healed after a few milliseconds, the jet fire still slowed it down enough for Shadow to find his destination. He dove into the center, only to be pushed back out like it was a trampoline.

Shadow growled, and then formed a spear of energy in his hand. "CHAOS SPEAR!" He struck down, and the mass of skin moved away from the weapon as far as it could. A hole was created, and Shadow began striking it further. Down, down, down he went.

Multiple tidal waves of corpse matter dove over the group. The Cybonic Crew flew up to try and melt them, or hold them up so they wouldn't be crushed. Cy-Sonic blasted heavy beams of energy while running around, too fast for the Machine to catch him. However, doing both at once was depleting his energy source. He managed to block several spikes, spears, and other projectiles aimed at the group. However, each was still connected to the murky floor by some kind of organic string, and they continually reformed after mere seconds. Where was this new mass coming from?

Amy, Knuckles, and Cy-Amy held back a spinning mass of spikes from Shadow's hole and heaved it across the room. It exploded into a wall, turning into smaller versions of itself attached to more organic strings.

"Screw you, demonic yo-yos!" Cy-Sticks summoned her boomerang, slicing through each of them with ease. While they were able to give it wounds easily, it healed faster than they could attack. But they had to stay alive and buy Shadow time. She began swinging out several boomerangs, catching one after another and sending them on their course again and again and again. Her pistons began to steam.

Then a giant cube with a large, very visible face on it appeared, towering over them with bone matter holding it up like a sock puppet. The group didn't see it until it came toppling down, nearly smashing them into new snacks for the machine, but it was stopped by someone yelling in pain.

"KNUCKLES!" Amy screamed.

Knuckles grunted, his hands audibly cracking and blood flowed from beneath his prosthetics. "Don't worry! I can hold it off! You keep helping Shadow!"

The Amys brought up their hammers. No way were they going to let Knuckles deal with this on his own, they were a _team_. Nodding to one another, they charged, jumped, and hit the cube point-blank with a giant pink shockwave. It was crushed in on itself, and let out another deafening scream.

"That definitely hurt it." Cy-Sonic commented, knocking away another cannonball with a spindash.

Meanwhile, Shadow was still digging. His palms hurt, and the air was getting thin. But that was little a problem compared to the one he faced now. It seemed, like he had thought, the Death Machine extended further than they could see. He could feel he was in a chamber right now, filled to the brim with the power and matter it had stolen over the centuries until it's containment.

Finally, he wore away the last layer, and dropped into the belly of the beast. It was a spherical room, and surrounding him was pulsating blood and flesh from the helpless peoples it had obtained over the years. In the very middle, he spotted Sonic, being drained by a silvery, glowing ball, with ripples of DNA passing over it every so often.

The Core.

Shadow didn't care about the damage he might cause. He didn't care wether he'd get hurt. Right now, Sonic was dying, and he could finally face down the creature that had killed his entire civilization long ago. The black lines on Sonic's body pulsed with each heartbeat, and his fur was turning gray. By saving him, Shadow would finally fulfill the task given to him by the High Council. Not the one he was created to do, but the one he had been destined to fulfill for a millennia.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

Time slowed to a snail's pace. Shadow leapt about, hopping over patches of beating veins and vines received from past strains. He grabbed Sonic, who was pulled towards him in a way that defied gravity. Hastily Shadow began to tear off the tubes that were harming him.

"Don't worry...I'm going to save you. I'll protect you." Shadow said. "I'm going to-"

Time sped back up again, and a large tendril slapped him across the room. Shadow felt his organs rupture, his bones break. He landed against the wall in a crucifix-like position, and he coughed out pints of blood.

" **NO ENTRY. GET OUT.** "

"Not until you give him back to me!" Shadow said.

" **MAKE DEAL.** " It said. " **DRAIN CATTLE. NO USE BODY. GIVE CATTLE-BODY YOU. YOU, LEAVE. NUTRIENTS HAVE ME. CATTLE-BODY HAVE YOU.** "

"Go to hell." Shadow said. He could feel his injuries healing, but at a much slower rate than usual. He needed to recharge his Chaos Energy, but right now he did not have the time. Worse, this was a situation he could live through or die from. The unusual feeling of mortality made him sick.

" **IN HELL. YOU JOIN ME.** " More and more tendrils revealed themselves. The tubes wrapped themselves around Sonic, holding his limp body hostage.

"Gladly, if it's to make sure _you_ _stay in it_!" Shadow summoned two Chaos Spears and charged.


	26. Mission Statement: Save Him

The raging ebony hedgehog, two spears in hand, began slicing at the tendrils. For every one that was decapitated three more burst forth at ludicrous speed. He jumped, using his jets as a leverage, and stuck them both into the core.

The core screeched, and several tendrils stabbed Shadow through the side. He spit up blood, but crushed the spears closer until they exploded from the sheer force of his strength. Shards of Chaos lightning sparked, nearly blinding Shadow. He reached for another spear to attack again, when the Core suddenly brought up two cubes from either side of the mutant. he was easily crushed between them, blood splashing all over and his vision dancing.

" **THINK STRONG YOU. LAUGH ME. HUMILIATE YOU. DEATH COMES YOU. INFECT NEXT, YOU.** " It took Sonic and wrapped his body lazily around itself. The pulsing on the black veins quickened. Not only was he being fed off faster, but he was also being used as a Mobian shield. Sickening. The cubes snaked back into the ground, and Shadow was on the floor retching. He covered his mouth, a silent scream settling in his throat.

" **BEG, YOU.** "

 _That's what you think..._ Shadow could not speak, since his vocal chords had been sliced apart by now. He bore the brunt of tendrils smacking him like whips, like he was just the next cattle in line for this creature's dinner.

Part of him wondered if that was the better option. He wouldn't have to worry about this stupid world anymore, about people, about himself, about...Sonic. His burdens would be lifted.

But he could faintly hear the cries of his comrades above. Something inside his snapped. He couldn't just let them _die_.

Shadow began to stand. He saw Sonic splayed out like a sick trophy, his body growing thinner and frailer every passing second. His gentle heartbeat was fading. He had to get to him, he had to save him. For everyone. Shadow punched the ground with his knuckles, and got up.

_He could remember the warm feeling inside him when Amy said they needed to trust him. How much she believed in him, and what she was willing to risk to get through to him._

He took a step, his leg screaming.

_He remembered holding back tears when he saw Knuckles' face, his spikes laying crushed on the ground and his hands covered in blood. So many memories._

Another. Just a little closer. The ground was hot underneath him.

_When Cy-Sonic tried to make amends._

The Core was visibly confused. " **BE DEAD, YOU. BUT. YOU NOT.** " It bellowed. Shadow ignored it.

_When he and Tails worked together. Slowly gaining respect for one another._

Shadow stood a little taller. His injuries started healing faster. He felt his own fur sharpen, slicing at whatever dared to touch him.

_Caring for Sonic as he lay asleep, cold and shivering, softly pressing his lips to his head._

He breathed, hot oxygen filling his lungs. He walked faster, and he felt the room shake with either annoyance or dread. Red energy began to spark around him, occasionally blips of gold joining in.

_How his friends got him to come back to them, despite all that he did. Willing to give him another chance._

Shadow took Sonic's hand into his own.

_Wait...friends? Is that what he just called them?_

Shadow supposed that description would suffice. He ignored the pain as the tendrils snapped and sliced at his fur harder, their last feeble attempts to stop him. He reached deep inside his heart, into depths he had not gone into for a very long time. A young hedgehog full of promise, hope, and power. A person he had thought died long ago. He easily tore Sonic away from the ropes imprisoning him, holding him close. His frail heart beating. Shadow began to glow a sharp red, and the tendrils snapping at him burst into flame when they touched him. He stared down the core, growling. He focused on all the pent-up positivity he had inside, turning that passion into energy. Sonic's breath, although weak, made that possible.

The Death Machine let out another scream, and the room began closing in on itself. " **WHAT? IS? THIS?** "

"My true strength; my _love_." He pulled all the Chaos Energy into his heart, his very body. If this was how it all ended, he wouldn't be angry about it. He would not allow their strength be in vain. After all this time, Sonic would be alright. He'd protect him. Until the very end. Raising a hand, he declared the final strike.

"Chaos **_BLAST_**!"

Above him, the entire room exploded from the sheer will of his words.

What was left of the mass of dead victims on the floor began to recede into the middle, going to wherever Shadow went. The force surrounding the group was like that of a jet, forcing them to hold on for dear life. Amy slammed her hammer into the ground, letting Tails and Knuckles hold onto her. The echidna bore his bleeding fist into the floor, spikes digging into the stone ground to help carry their weight. 

The cobblestone wall wore away, blackened rocks beneath. Team Cybonic managed to fight the winds using their jets, but Cy-Sonic was too drained to keep them on for long. He fell and crashed in a heap against the obsidian lining of the room. Cy-Amy screamed and let herself be blown towards him, using her body as a shield to block any debris.

The ceiling did not cave in from such power, but rather burst outward. Sunlight was pouring inside. It was quiet for a second, before a shining red light burst outward. As did the Death Machine's body, a fountain of life and death. Everything was then obscured by the whirlwinds of dust and dirt.

It was silent again.

As the dust cleared, everyone saw the waves of metallic color had stopped in midair. It was like time itself was frozen. In the middle of the room, Shadow stood, holding down the core with his right hand. In his left he had Sonic hefted over his shoulder.

Shadow was covered in his own blood. Green waves of Chaos energy healed deep wounds in his chest. His hand was steaming, and trickles of blood flowed from the palm. His glove had been shredded, and one of his skates had melted against his fur. Shadow heaved, and pressed down on the Core.

It gave one final, pathetic whimper, and shattered.

Little red pieces dropped onto the ground, fading into a miserable gray. They dissipated, exploding into fragments upon fragments until nothing was left. Not even Cybonic's sensors could pick up micro-traces of it. Slowly, the rest of it's body began disintegrating into dust.

Shadow dropped to his knees, his hand still boiling painfully. He brought Sonic down onto the floor, panting. Everyone crowded around him, wanting to celebrate but not sure if this was the truth of their reality. Was it another trick to get their hopes up? They watched, eyes sparkling in both joy and sadness.

"Sonic. It's over." Shadow said in a hoarse voice. "You're safe now." He nudged a blue shoulder.

His fur, although dirty, had a sheen again. The blackened lines were still there, a grim reminder of what they still had yet to do. Yes, as fate would have it, Sonic laid there unmoving. Unresponsive. Practically dead, even.

"Sonic...I saved you. Wake up." Shadow shook him again. "Sonic! Sonic, _please_ , wake up!"

Slowly, the blue blur opened his eyes. His beautiful green eyes. Like a newborn trying to see the world for the first time. He turned his head towards the group, who waited breathlessly for his reaction. Eyes welled up with tears, hearts beating too fast, the room itself shuddered. Then, Sonic eyed the two-tailed fox, and spoke.

"Tails...is that...you?"

"Sonic!" Tails ignored all personal space and hugged the blue hedgehog, crying. After so long he _finally_ called him by his real name. It was over. It was finally over. Now all they had to do was extract the virus' remains and-

"Tails." Sonic gagged. "My stomach doesn't...feel...so good." He lurched forward from Tails' hold and coughed up a black liquid. It was the same horrific color as the Machine's remains still stuck on his fur. Tails eyes widened in horrified understanding, as he tried to help his brother breathe between the puke.

With the virus dead and unable to control his immune system anymore, his body was trying and failing to reject the foreign substance.

Sonic threw up what looked like the jet black liquid and deep red blood, before dropping back lifelessly to the floor.


	27. Rengenerate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> True love isn't making yourself happy.
> 
> It's being happy for the one you love.
> 
> Even if it doesn't benefit you.

Knuckles let out an anguished scream. Heads turned, surprised to see the poor echidna pushed to his limit.

"HE'S NOT DYING! NO! WE'RE GONNA FIX HIM!" He grabbed Sonic and hugged him, hoping that may be the cure. His hands were bent at horrifying angles, but he didn't seem to care. He just cried and nuzzled Sonic's limp head. "We're gonna fix you buddy..."

"I-if we can get to a hospital fast enough..." Amy suggested. "But we don't have Sonic's speed."

"I can get him there." Shadow offered.

"No. You're hurt, and one of your skates is destroyed anyway." Amy explained. She began muttering to herself in a panic.

"And our Sonic's out of commission too." Cy-Knuckles said. "He and Ames took a lot of damage." He glanced at the chrome-pink robot holding Cy-Sonic close, digital tears running down her cheeks. Part of her head was dented in, and her feet had been forcibly detached, leaving long, spindly, and sparking legs. She had a small port connected between them, sharing their batteries.

"What about you?" Tails asked. "Can you get him to a hospital before his body shuts down?"

"Our energy sources have been depleted during the battle!" Cy-Sticks explained. "Even if we go now, we'll run out of power halfway!"

"Can't you and Cy-Knuckles trade off?"

"Even if he preserved his energy by walking, he won't be able to catch up with me in time!"

Tails took a small screwdriver from his pack. "Give me f-five minutes and I might be able to preform a surgery..."

"No, Flesh Tails, I don't think you don't have the right tools." Cy-Knuckles said. Tails' ears folded back dejectedly, and he finally started crying. A horrible wail, that of a mere child who shouldn't have these burdens. Cy-Knuckles frowned and took the little fox into his arms. "It's okay, little guy."

"I can-"

"Shadow, you can't!" Amy screamed. "I already said you're too hurt! I'm not losing anyone else!"

"No..." Shadow said softly. "I can still do something. Knuckles. Give Sonic to me. ...Please."

The echidna hesitated, but tentatively placed his dying friend in Shadow's arms. Shadow looked him over. Black blood was pouring from his mouth, and one of his eyes. The remains of the virus overtook his form, with barely another color to be seen. Shadow swallowed, and placed a hand over Sonic's heart.

"Um...I'd like to thank everyone." He said, with a little shyness that was odd for him. "For teaching me how to...love others again."

Amy stared at him quizzically, until she saw the gentle green glow of Chaos on his palm. Her breath hitched in her throat. "Shadow, no, you've used too much energy already! If you use any more you could get really hurt! Or worse!"

"I don't care what happens to me." Shadow said. "That's not what matters." Shadow placed his hand upon Sonic's heart, the lines of black shrinking away into nothing as Chaos flowed into his body. Blue fur slowly made a reappearance. "It's him. That's all that has mattered to me." He took a deep breath, before paying everyone one last glance. For the first time in centuries, Shadow smiled. 

He looked back down to Sonic. "Chaos Regeneration."

A gust of wind billowed out. Swirls of Chaos Energy began leaving Shadow and entering Sonic's weakened form. He was lifted up, and Shadow let out a sigh.

"The servers are the many Crystals of Chaos." He began to chant. "Know that Chaos is power, power is enriched by the heart. The controller is the one that unifies the Crystals, and thus the Chaos."

His skates began to wither away, golden rings on ankles shattering into stars of light. His foot calmly healed of it's burns. His gloves evaporated, their own gilded cuffs exploding into dots of orange-green that rose into the air.

"Shadow...your..."

Shadow's body began glowing with a yellow-gold glimmer. He stretched both his hands out onto Sonic, quietly repeating the chanting. Sonic's shed blood began dripping upwards, turning into a glittering nectar the further it went up. Shadow opened his eyes, and they were no longer a violent blood-stained red; instead, they resembled a rose in full bloom. White and gold rippled across his fur.

In another world, far, far away, Sonic awakened in a solid white plane.

"My...happier place?" He said, rubbing his eyes. Then he remembered everything. The virus, the sickness, the battle, the tears. He stood up, looking at his hands, taking it all in for a moment, when his ears perked up. There was...crying, screaming, somebody whispering in his ear. He recognized those voices. His friends were mourning him. But where were they?

"GUYS!" He called out. "GUYS, WHERE ARE YOU?! I'M HERE! I'M OKAY!" He began running, miles and miles through white but getting nowhere. "I'M OKAY, I'M ALRIGHT! PLEASE! ANSWER ME!!!" Sonic fought back tears as he prayed his cries would be heard by his team. He was fine, he was alive, they didn't need to cry. He was okay, why couldn't they understand that?! Unless...

A gruff voice interrupted his efforts.

"Sonic."

He stopped, and turned to find a smiling Shadow. What an oxymoron. He walked closer. "Shadow, what...no, how are you here? Where is everyone else? They need me. I have to find them."

"Sonic. I don't have long." He said. "Right now I'm helping reform your body at the cost of mine. So please, listen to me."

"At the cost of-Shadow, what is going on?! Where are we?!"

He ignored his questions. "Sonic, I want you to understand: I never truly hated you. I...I didn't know how else to tell you the truth. Instead I was irrational, and to be honest a bit of an idiot. But these past few weeks has changed me in so many ways and I can finally be honest with you."

"Shadow, hold on! You said your body is being used to reform mine?! Am I dying?! I-I can't accept that kind of sacrifice!" Sonic shook him by the shoulders. "Stop it right now! W-we can talk about this! Because actually I feel much better now, I promise! You can stop the reforming or whatever! Just tell everyone I'm okay!"

Shadow continued. "All my life, I couldn't find my purpose. I was angry because of it, and I...I had turned into somebody I couldn't recognize. A monster. A bully. A fool who didn't know how to handle anything without violence."

"No, no no, shut up! No speeches!"

"Then I met you, Sonic, and your team. You've...slowly inspired me to become a better person. To be a better friend. A hero. Sonic, you make me feel alive. I-I love you."

"You...love me?" Sonic echoed. His eyes began welling up with tears. "Wait! W-wait! Shadow! Stop your stupid healing ritual! We can talk it out with everyone else! Please, just take me to them!!"

"Sonic, right now I'm doing what I was meant to do; save the lives of many. I killed the Death Machine, and now I'm saving you. And in saving you, I'll also be saving others from whatever hell might befall them."

"Shadow, please!" Sonic sobbed. "DON'T DO THIS! I-I still have so many things I wanted to say! I wanted to say sorry for all our stupid fights! Have you join the team! Become friends! I wanted to be your friend! W-wait, that sounded insensitive after you just said-! Uh, I could be whatever you want us to be! Shadow I'm so sorry! I don't know how I feel about all of this but you're _dying_ and I don't wanna-"

Shadow chuckled, interrupting him. "It's okay if you don't feel the same way. Really."

"Shadow!!! You can't-!"

"Don't be sad or angry with yourself, Sonic. You're alive, and that's more than enough."

"PLEASE! DON'T GO!" Sonic broke down, hugging Shadow. So many things were happened at once. His rival _loved him_ loved him, he was now dying for him, Sonic didn't know what to do. He had so many plans in mind for when Shadow finally opened up to him. So many things to do, so many ways they could come together and be a _team_. Would he had eventually felt the same way towards Shadow? Now they were about as real as a midnight dream. Shadow gently laid a striped hand onto Sonic's back to hug him closer.

"Just promise me you won't do anything stupid after this." He said with an amused smirk. "Thank you, Sonic, for finally giving me purpose."

Then he was gone. In the cave, there was a blinding light. Everyone watched as it faded, stifling their cries.

In place of Shadow the Hedgehog was a single golden flower, with it's roots intact and it's petals having bloomed.

Sonic was alive, however in a deep sleep. He sported many new differences on his person, but we'll get into that later. His friends were speechless on his new appearance, and knew exactly why he looked the way he did. But they didn't say a word.

The room was quiet. The stench was the only thing that remained of the Death Machine. That, and the many golden ashes flying up through the ceiling. Wisping through the air like the embers of a flame; many flames. Something told the remaining Mobians those were the souls of the other victims, freed from their cursed afterlife.

 _Thank you,_ voices whispered in the wind. Then they were gone.

"All the people it had taken. They're free." Cy-Sticks said softly. "Did Shadow do this?"

"...I think...it was more than just Shadow." Amy said, pulling Sonic's head lightly on her lap. "Something tells me we all had a part in freeing them." She smiled. The clouds above sparkled with their eternal essence.

"So...is it over?" Knuckles asked, wiping tears from his muzzle.

"...Yeah. I think it's over." Amy nodded. "Let's go home, everyone. We've been through a lot today."

Tails reached down and took the flower into his hands. It was some sort of lily, or many lilies bundled onto the same stem. It had two-toned petals of golden on the outside and red on the inside, and black lines visible on the latter. He held it close, blinking back tears.

_Thank you, Shadow._


	28. Recovery

The team realized just how banged up all of them were. Amy's hands were scuffed, to the point that even her callouses were bleeding. She had serious large bruises and nicks all over her skin. Despite this, she carried a sleeping Sonic on her back with little complaint.

Knuckles' hands, and to an extension, arms, were mangled and black and blue. He stared at them on the way home, not sure if they could be fixed this time. However, since Shadow's sacrifice, he had felt a lot better (physically).

Tails had taken quite the brunt. Large patches of blood were strewn around his fur, and one of his tails hung at a bent angle. He limped home, only helped by Cy-Sticks. She was fairly battered, with dents all over her body and some of her metal "clothing" and tiny chunks of her limbs sheared off.

Cy-Knuckles carried both Cy-Amy and Cy-Sonic, who had gone into power-down mode. He had been knocked down enough that silver was showing on his skin. He'd need a repaint.

They came to a fork in the road. The fox cub cracked his back, and pointed in the direction of his home. "I'm gonna go help Cybonic. They deserve some rest after what's happened." Tails stated, and left abruptly with the cyborgs. Amy went the other way to her tideside house.

The pink hedgehog walked into her home, which felt so odd to be in after spending the last few weeks at Tails'. She turned on a light and gently put Sonic onto one of the couches. Wordlessly, Amy started bringing out washrags and med-kits for themselves. Wiping the blood off her face and bandaging her hands, she then went to assist Knuckles and his broken fingers. Amy wasn't sure what to do, so she splinted them and tried applying some healing balm. Knuckles hissed through his teeth when ice bags were laid atop them. When she was finally finished fixing him up, the echidna snuggled into the couch pillows.

"You can take my bed, Knuckles." Amy offered. "It's much comfier."

He was already asleep.

Amy traded her ruined and ripped dress for a comfier robe, soft fabric heavenly upon her sore skin. She bandaged the last of her scrapes, and sat down beside Sonic. She huffed, and began to sob. She still couldn't believe Shadow had sacrificed himself like that. It was a complete 180, a full redemption, and he couldn't even live to see everyone welcome him with open arms. Crying softly from the loss of her friend, Amy eventually fell asleep with a hand in Sonic's.

After all this, she was too scared to let him go.

In Tails' garage, Cybonic laid in power-down mode. Once they had enough energy, Cy-Knuckles and Cy-Sticks would bid farewell and take them back to Roboken, where professionals could put them back together. The fox who had helped them laid curled on a mattress with blankets, any red stains left now a burgundy color. He smelled of cleaning salve and gauze.

That night the town slept easy. Amy only woke up once in the early morning to call Tails and see if he was alright. The kitsune was, and said he'd be at her house in the day's afternoon. Satisfied, she retook her spot next to Sonic on the floor...

"...Mmmph."

Amy blinked. She knew that grumble. She whipped her head around, and saw Sonic was sitting up straight. He had a hand to his head, rubbing an eye. "Who...wha...huh?" His pupil dilated as he focused on her. "Amy?"

She took a moment to soak in his presence and appearance, then sobbed and wrapped him into a hug. "You're okay, you're okay, you're okay!"

"Ames, I-why am I in your house?!"

She pulled away, laughing joyfully. "Somebody had to keep an eye on you. Sonic, you see, you...well..." Amy wiped away some more tears. "Sonic, we thought we had lost you."

Before he could ask why, a flurry of memories rushed into his brain. He clutched his forehead, disoriented from everything that had happened. Pain, darkness, pain, dreaming, doppelgängers, caves-

"Easy, easy!" Amy caught him before he fell off the couch. "You're okay. You're safe now. The v-virus is gone. We defeated it."

"I remember everything. The Death Machine, losing control of my own body, the blackouts, the pain, oh Amy, I _forgot_ _you_! I'm so sorry!"

"Don't be! It wasn't your fault!"

"If I just told you what happened none of this-"

"SHUT UP! We're past that! You're here and you're awake, and that's all that matters." She grabbed him and held the hedgehog close, crying. Sonic, hesitantly, reached up to hug her back, trying to ignore the tears falling down his own cheeks. Eventually the two let go, and Sonic quickly noticed her bandaged hands. And cheeks. And legs. And then her bruises.

"...You're hurt."

Amy took a shaking breath. "Nothing a little healing salve can't fix. It was all worth it to protect you."

"Amy..." Sonic's eyes welled up again with tears. "You know you don't ever have to do that."

"But you're our leader, and one of the most amazing hedgehogs I know. Anytime, any day, I'd gladly get scuffed up for you."

Sonic felt like he was going to cry, but caught side of something red and spiky in the corner of his eye. He peered over Amy's shoulder. "...Why is Knuckles sleeping on your couch?"

In seconds the echidna's eyes fluttered open and he was next to Sonic like a puppy to a treat. He began blabbering something about how his hands were "fine" and how much he wanted to hug Sonic. Knuckles' poor efforts to hide his injured limbs behind his back proved useless when Sonic yanked them out into view.

He gasped. "Knux, your, er, knuckles! I remember seeing them broken but now your hands are black and blue and splinted and-"

"I'm okay. I promise! It always works out one way or another."

Sonic grit his teeth. "Knuckles, I don't know if this _can_ be fixed. That's why I'm worried."

"I've survived a punctured lung. I think I'll make it."

Sonic couldn't exactly argue with that. He just laughed and gave him a huge hug, hands clutching red fur close. Needing to breathe was the only reason they ever let go of each other.

"Tails?"

"Resting at his house, like he should. He's also helping out Team Cybonic, and hopefully not too much." Amy explained.

"Resting?! You mean he's hurt?! I need to get over there!" Sonic started getting up, alarmed.

"Woah, woah! Don't worry, he's fine, he just called me a little earlier." Amy pushed Sonic back onto the couch. Sonic sat there, frowning, when he noticed something. He couldn't quite place it, but something about her demeanor wasn't right. Neither of the, in fact. Sonic could see his friends weren't just looking at his worried aura and functioning lungs. It was that same expression somebody had when you had broccoli stuck in your teeth or you had a new pair of slacks to show off. 

A blue ear dropped questioningly. "Why are you guys looking at me like that? You've been looking at me like that since I woke up."

"You didn't realize you-aw, dude." Knuckles grinned. "You look so cool now. Show him, show him." He turned to Amy, who picked up a mirror and held it in front of the hedgehog. Sonic stared at himself in shock.

_Well this was new._

Everywhere the virus had once touched him, red lines streaked down his fur. Like racing stripes. On his hands, his arms, flames wrapping around his neck and ankles. There was a small symbol on his heart, like a swirl but with several spines poking out of it. It reminded him of his own profile. And his eye...

"Ooh, It's red! The left one! Or is it your right, my left?"

"No, it's his left eye." Amy confirmed. "And it's beautiful."

"Oh" was all Sonic managed to say. He admired himself for a moment, not having realized how well scarlet and royal blue go together. "Well, shoot." He said with a smirk. "I like the new pattern. Makes me think of Shadow's weird stripes. But where did it come from? Is it a side effect of the virus or something?"

The two suddenly looked a little more sullen than before.

His face went pale. "Guys? Please don't tell me I'm still sick."

"No, no. You're fully healed." Amy reassured him. "It's...um..."

Sonic furrowed his brows. An uneasy feeling swept through him. Where...was Shadow? During his time ill, Sonic could remember that he never strayed far and was always watching him. Did he seriously decide to skate off the second Sonic was fully healed? Either he was being a major jerk, or...

"Where's Shad?"

Amy hissed through her teeth, gripping the edges of her robe. "Uh...Sh-Shadow...he..."

"Did he get infected?" Sonic asked, his rapid heartbeat making his chest feel tight.

"No. Worse. Uh." Knuckles scratched the back of his head with a painful grimace. "I don't know how to tell you this bud, but..."

"Shadow is dead."


	29. We Were Idiots

A horrifying silence filled the room. Sonic took a moment to process this information. Shadow, his greatest rival, his wannabe friend, the nearly unstoppable "ultimate lifeform"...was dead?

"How did he die." Sonic said quietly. It wasn't much of a question, and more of a statement that Amy and Knuckles were required to fill the rest out. The hedgehog waited for an answer, and pulled a hand up shakily. His index finger was a bright red color.

"Sonic..."

"TELL ME!" Sonic screamed. Pink ears folded back and red shoulders sagged.

"He destroyed the Death Machine. But you were about to die. So he gave all his Chaos energy to save you."

Flickers of what he thought was a dream came back to him. The void. Shadow. He said he loved him. He wasn't sure how to respond, but Shadow was gone before he even understand. But he knew it was real, a real moment they shared, and he would never get another chance.

"...king...piece of...damn IDIOT!!!" Sonic shouted. His eyes began glowing bright, and multicolored energy crackled along his limbs.

"Sonic."

He ignored Knuckles' plea, opting to stand and go for an angry run. All those bedridden weeks had rendered him slightly unbalanced, and he crashed into the coffee table taking his first step. But Sonic angrily kept going, tearing open Amy's door and stumbling outside.

"Wait! Your body isn't used to this kind of stress yet! You've been stuck in bed for weeks and-"

"I feel like a freakin' butterfly living in a goldenrod field! ALL BECAUSE OF THAT JERK!" Sonic fell to his knees and started slamming the ground. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU, SHADOW! I HATE YOU AND YOUR STUPID CHOICES AND I JUST HATE YOU SO MUCH!" More of that energy began coursing through him, and with one final yell he dented the ground with a slam.

The dust cleared. Knuckles whistled. "Since when could he do that?"

Sonic curled up into a ball and started crying. Amy and Knuckles rushed over to help console him.

"I...he...he was kind to me and I took that for granted." Sonic whimpered. "He said he loved me. Did you know that Amy?"

"I did." Amy sniffled. "He loved you very much, Sonic."

"I'm...not sure how to respond to that."

"It's okay. You don't have to know how." Amy reassured him. "There isn't a right or wrong answer."

She scratched his forehead, rubbing the familiar quills there and calming him down. His spines shuddered, and he took a deep breath. "...I think I want to see how Tails is doing."

"I'll carry ya!" Knuckles offered.

"No." Sonic said. "I don't want anybody else getting hurt or dying 'cause of me." He staggered to a standing position. "But catch me if I fall." He blinked, and looked down to his feet. "Wait, where are my shoes?"

The fox was quietly drinking water in his kitchen, when the door to his home opened and a red and blue hedgehog came inside, tripping on his own scarlet loafers. He put a hand to a wall, steadying himself, then focusing on Tails.

Tails dropped his glass of water. It shattered, but the kit didn't flinch. With a soft whisper, he asked: "Sonic, do you know who I am?"

Sonic smiled. "Yeah. You're my brother, Tails."

Tails broke down, running into his brother's arms. Sonic was knocked to the floor, but didn't care as the younger of the two bawled into his fur. Holding Sonic tighter, tighter, tighter, apologizing for so many things he didn't need to.

"I-it's okay..." Sonic said, brushing his head softly with a hand. "I'm here. I'm back."

"I thought you were dead, I thought you were dead, Sonic don't ever leave me again!"

Now it was Sonic's turn to cry. "I won't. I won't ever leave you. We stick together, buddy!"

For the next hour or so, Tails didn't let go.

Everyone sat around in a circle, on Tails' couch. Amy finished cleaning the broken cup, and Sonic took a deep breath as she sat down with the rest of them.

"First of all...I'm sorry."

"Sonic-"

"No, Amy. I'm sorry. I should have told you. I should have been honest. I almost died because of that, and Shadow..." He grit his teeth. "I'm sorry."

"We've already forgiven you, Sonic." Amy said. Tails and Knuckles nodded enthusiastically.

Sonic glanced down at the grainy floor, spines ruffling. "Shadow isn't coming back. Is he?"

"No." Tails said. "He was amazing though. He defeated the Death Machine, and then he saved you."

"Wish I could've seen it." Sonic's eyes were welling up again. "I...we could have put aside our differences and got to really know each other. But now he's gone."

"Not really." Knuckles shrugged. "I think he lives on in you. All those cool markings, those aren't just side effects or whatever. I think that's him, and he's always going to be with you in one way or another."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, before Sonic piped up. "That was really poetic of you, Knuckles."

"Thank you!" The echidna sat up straighter, quite proud.

Another questions hit Sonic like a rocket. "Where's Cyborg-Us?"

"They already left. They needed proper maintenance back home."

Sonic looked down, his ears drooping. He really wanted to thank Cy-Sonic for his help, and everyone else for their effort. At least he knew they were okay.

"Wait, that reminds me. Sticks...Sticks." The memory set itself in. Right. Sticks had been severely hurt. "Amy, you told me Sticks was in a coma. Why?"

"She tried taking on the Death Machine herself. She's okay, I know she is! She'll pull through. She just needs time." Her voice was close to cracking, and it was clear Amy was running on unbridled faith.

Sonic curled a hand into a fist. "If I was able to stand on my own I could have stopped her."

"Quit blaming yourself." Knuckles interjected. "That was _her_ choice. She just wanted to help."

"What else do you remember, Sonic?" Tails asked. "It'll probably take you a while before _all_ of your memories register for you."

"I remember being sick, and alone. Then I woke up here and you threw a wrench at me." He looked at Tails, who cringed at that. "Then Shadow came by and he was being so weird, and now that I think about it that's probably because he was scared I would die. I remember feeling a lot of pain a lot of the time. Then...something...I threw up again and it really hurt...Sticks gave me that magic potion or whatever, Knuckles made me breakfast...and Shadow gave me a bath." Sonic's face went red. "Oh my _gosh Shadow gave me a **bath**._"

Tails snickered.

"I still see a lot of blanks, though. But I do remember Knuckles losing his. Um." Sonic stared wistfully at his best friend's hands. "How did you lose them?"

"Shadow and I got into a fight. I knocked his jaw loose, and he broke off my knuckles."

Sonic growled. "That. Bastard. Why should I be surprised, he's nearly killed all of us before over a petty video!" Sonic put his head in his hands, conflicted. "How did you ever forgive him?"

"I'm...uh, well." Knuckles shrugged. "I'm still working on that. I don't think he wanted to hurt me that bad, maybe he was just angry. Like how I didn't mean to break his jaw."

"Mmmmph." Sonic took a sonic second to process what Knuckles said. Then he whipped his head up and and stared at Knuckles with a horrified expression. "You _knocked_ his _jaw_ loose?!"

"Yeah...?"

"But when I went to bring him back he looked fine." Amy interrupted quickly. "I think his Chaos abilities healed him."

Sonic cursed out of disbelief. He wanted to let Shadow be redeemed, he wanted to forgive him for all those times they fought. But hurting Knuckles like that?!

...He supposed it wasn't any different than the times he tried slaughtering him. But still.

Sonic spotted a golden plant next to the window. "A lily of the nile?" He asked. "I've never seen this coloration before."

Tails shrugged lazily. "Uh, yeah, I suppose. When Shadow sacrificed himself, this was all that was left." Sonic got up, using the couch as a railing and taking a closer look at the lily. It was beautiful. It hummed with energy, and the circular jar it was in had been stained neon green.

"Shadow." Sonic lightly brushed a petal. "Always trying to be flashier than me, huh?"

There was a silence.

"I want to see Sticks."

The others glanced at one another. Quietly, Amy took Sonic's hand and led him out the door. They solemnly marched through the village and into the hospital on the other end of town. Sonic tried ignoring the gawking and pointing from the villagers, asking if he had dyed his fur, where he had been, why wasn't he wearing sports tape, etc. He'd give them answers another time.

Right now he just wanted to see his friend.

Up the stairs, down several halls, and they arrived at a door marked 187. A notecard had been slipped into a plastic pocket embedded on the fiberglass. It read:

_STICKS T. BADGER - Occupied Until Further Notice_

Amy hesitated at the handle. "I..."

"What's wrong, Ames?" Sonic asked.

"It's just...I haven't visited her since I got the call. I'm scared." She blinked back tears. "I'm so scared." With a shaky breath, she finally opened the door, sliding it into the wall like a shouji screen. They were met with a brightly colored room, filled with a mess of tubes, monitors, and the sleeping badger wrapped in bandages stuck in the middle of all of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally drew Sonic's new design! You can finally see just how much he was affected by the final battle, and by Shadow.
> 
> https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/698029094457049088/801561985128464384/SPOILER_IMG_3954.jpeg


	30. Awakening

Amy fell to her knees beside the bed, tentatively grabbing for the badger's hand. She began sobbing, her head hanging from her neck like a wilting flower. Knuckles stood back, tears welling up in his eyes. He sat against the wall and slid down into a heap on the floor. Tails walked around the other side of the badger's bed, pulling Sonic along, and rested a hand beside her.

"Sticks," Sonic said somberly, his voice little more than a whisper.

He gazed at the blindfold wrapped around her eyes, and wondered just how bad it had gotten to incur that. Would her vision be different? Or did she simply have an issue with bright light now? Sonic didn't know what happened, only that she came home covered in her own blood and crying red.

An oxygen mask was strapped to her face, little puffs of air barely staining the plastic. Her entire body was covered in tubes, bandages, or a sewn-closed wound. She smelled no longer like the jungle, and more like antiseptic and other clean hospital things. On her stomach, he saw a large gauze, and staples holding together a large slice across her torso. The bags of donated blood that hung next to her made Sonic want to throw up.

He was the leader of this team. It was his responsibility to make sure everyone was okay. This was all his fault. If only he'd told them...well, then again, Sticks probably would have done the exact same thing. His hands shook, ears flattening and lip quivering.

"Sticks you idiot." He let himself cry, quiet tears of sorrow dripping down his cheeks. They made a puddle on the linoleum floor. Unbeknownst, his stripes began to change from red to gold, flickering like fireflies, as he grasped Sticks' other hand. Amy was still bawling, sinking to her knees.

"I can't do this, I can't lose another friend, I can't!" She sucked in a breath, before a saddened scream tore it's way from her throat.

Tails opened his eyes at the sound. He was about to go comfort Amy when he caught sight of and Sonic's light show. "Sonic, your fur."

"I know I look different Tails!" He snapped. "This isn't the time to discuss-"

"No, not that! It's lighting _up_!"

Sonic looked down at himself, gasping and stumbling backward. They began to ebb into a dim fade, and soon he was no longer glittering like holiday lights. Frantically he brushed at his fur, trying to figure out the source of the light and how to get it back. Something told him it was helping. ...Helping what? Wait, he was confused again.

That's when Sticks' fingers twitched, and the heart monitor changed it's steady tune for a moment.

Four heads snapped upwards and forwards. Knuckles stealthily crawled to the end of the cot. Amy pulled the bandaged hand closer without dislodging any of the IVs that were stuck to it.

"Sticks?" She hiccuped. "Are you...?"

The badger coughed, the O2 mask covering her face fogging up white.

"I...made it." She said groggily, squeezing Amy's glove. The pink hedgehog sobbed again, only this time out of joy. Several doctors came rushing in seconds after she spoke, muttering about how they need to "do the proper procedures" and "stabilize her if needed". Oh, and something about "you four need to leave". I'm quite sure you can guess as to who those four occupants were.

"Sticks, I promise we'll visit again later!" Sonic yelled as he was pushed out the door.

"Okay Amy..." She gave a small smile. Still a little delirious, but that was her style.

The door shut firmly behind them, and Amy laughed. "I knew she'd make it! I never had a doubt!" Ignoring social protocol, she hugged Sonic fervently, crying into his shoulder.

Sonic rolled his eyes with a smirk, cautiously returning the hug. Once Amy finally let go (her iron grip most likely leaving bruises) he turned to the red echidna beside him. Raising an eyebrow, he poked him in the chest a few times. "Alright, Knux. I've held it off long enough. You need to see a doctor."

"For what?!" He cried out.

"Your hands, dumb-dumb! They're a mess!" Sonic argued.

Knuckles moved his arms behind his back. "My hands feel fine!"

"No, they're not, I saw them earlier! Ugh! Knuckles, just gimme!" The two boys fought for a moment until Sonic successfully grabbed Knuckles' wrists and pulled his arms around to the front, and found...much healthier hands than he expected. His fingers were no longer crisscrossed, and the horrible blue and red stains had faded to a better yellow. It was like they'd healed on their own, somehow. Knuckles took the opportunity to smile smugly.

"See? Just a bruise." The echidna "hrumphed" and pulled his hands back away, punching them together. "Ow. Ow. Ow. Still kinda hurts."

Unable to articulate an answer to this, Sonic just sighed and pat his friend on the back. "Okay. What about you, Tails? You looked pretty scu..."

Tails stood in front of him, swishing his two tails with the grace of a peacock. While blood still stained parts of him, Sonic could no longer find the injuries they came from. Amy was just the same; bright-eyed and standing up straight. Her hands no longer reddened and her knees relaxed.

Considering the circumstances, _that made no sense._

"Guys...do you all really feel better?"

"Of course!" Amy exclaimed. "We feel fine, really fine, actually! Which...isn't right, because I remember I threw out my back yesterday and now I feel fine." She twisted her waist, and her expression moved to one of bewilderment. "Tails, your left tail, wasn't it broken?"

"It still is. But now that I think about it, it feels perfectly normal." The fox furrowed his brows, confused by his own statement. "Like it was never hurt in the first place. Ever since..."

Three heads turned to Sonic. He stared back in confusion. Then it clicked.

"Oh." was all he said. It was time for that discussion he mentioned earlier. Of course, the middle of a busy hospital hallway wasn't the place for that.

Many of the people they met along the road to home didn't recognize Sonic at first. They'd come up tentatively and point at his fur, asking "are you really Sonic?"

"Yeah. Got into a mystic mess. Gained some suave souvenirs." He replied each time, a fake smile of relaxation painting his face. As per usual, Sonic could see contempt in many of the faces.

_I haven't seen him in weeks. Where's he gone to?_

_Some hero he is, abandoning us like that._

_Did he just expect us to defend ourselves?_

_Worthless. Can't even save himself._

Nobody asked about Shadow. That was to be expected, as he rarely ever visited the village and never once defended it, but surely the familiar red stripes on his fur would bring to mind the angry ebony hedgehog? It...sickened Sonic for some reason.

Should he tell everyone of Shadow's sacrifice? ...Maybe another day. There were more pressing matters at hand.

They stopped at Sonic's shack. It was much more beaten down than usual. There was a floral smell coming from inside mixed with the rotting stench of dried bile. Stuttering music from a broken radio echoed lightly off the walls. Amy took one look inside and made a mental note to clean it later.

They sat down in a circle on the sand. Tails stared intently at Sonic, making the hedgehog's ears flop back. He sighed, clapping his hands together. "I don't think there's much to discuss." Tails folded his arms. "It's quite clear Sonic's presence is somehow healing us of our injuries."

There was an agreeable motion from everyone else.

"I just have to figure out how, and if it's permanent." He held out his hand to Sonic. "Let's head to my place. I'll run some tests."

Sonic rolled his eyes, but took his hand anyway and stood up. He took one last glance at the others, before kicking a foot to the dirt. Tails held on tight, his namesake out and ready to keep up with the blur. However, the blur seemed rather hesitant to move forward.

"...Sonic?" Tails asked.

"It's nothing. I just haven't run in so long." He took a deep breath. "Gotta remember how it feels." He grit his teeth, and took a running step.

He kicked off in a sudden burst of speed none of them had ever seen, leaving a storm off dust in his wake. Several birds flew up from the jungle he ran into, accompanying an echoing scream of "wh _oo_ -HOO!!!". I implore you all to pray for poor Tails, who was holding tight onto his brother's shoulders and trying not to scream.

Amy laughed. Small tears of joy tickled her muzzle.


	31. Return to the Un-Normal

The news hit like a meteor. It was not a shooting star, else Amy's wish for her friend to be the way she was would come true. Instead, sitting beside the hospital bed of the dazed badger, she felt only fear for the future.

"I'm blind." Sticks had said.

She coughed weakly from where she lay, fur on end and ears flickering at every noise around her. A medical blindfold was wrapped around her, stained the color of rust. Amy bit her lip, holding back tears. Even if Sticks couldn't see anymore, Amy did not want to cry in front of her friend. Instead, she hugged her as gently as she could, fingers lacing over bandages and scars. She dare did not speak.

Sticks smiled. "I mean...it's not too much of a problem. My sniffer is more than enough to know where I'm going." Sticks said, her lips quivering. "'Sides, I've prepared for this situation in case the government successfully blinds us with a new television program. I'll be fine. But..." She went quiet, and tears began to fall down her face. They stained the blindfold she wore.

Amy pulled back, her hands still on the badger's shoulders. "Sticks?"

"Why does it hurt when I cry?" She sobbed.

"Because..." Amy tried to answer, but couldn't. "I don't know Sticks. I d-don't know."

"I'm so tired..." Sticks muttered. "I think I'll go back to napping now. Thanks for visiting, Ames."

The pink hedgehog breathed "you're welcome", and allowed her best friend to continue her healing journey. The ensuing three weeks would be challenging. Thinking that this whole thing was over was a rather silly mindset to have. No, things would keep coming back and hurting them, like a bullet ricocheting off too many metal cans.

Tails had correctly deduced that the reason everyone was suddenly healing around Sonic was because of the Chaos Energy residue emanating from his body. Chaos Energy...the words felt strange on Tails' tongue. Another parting gift from Shadow, it seemed. In fact, Sonic's newfound strength, speed, and biology was due to the Chaos running in his veins. Since he was still freshly healed, he was more overpowered than usual and unable to control his usage of it. It was plausible that Sonic would no longer be able to access these powers subconsciously once his readings were back to normal (i.e. Shadow's standard). The question was, who else could train him fluently in the power of Chaos?

Having all this power in you yet never being able to properly utilize it? That would _suck_.

The next day, the gang decided to clean Sonic's bloody shack. Making it less of a murder scene and more of a home. Tails took the chance to fix a few irritating design flaws while Sonic wasn't looking. Like, adding a door, or glass window panes. Anything decent.

After scrubbing and bleaching the wood, Sonic picked up Shadow's lily and placed it on a shelf above his hammock. He stared at it for a moment, unsure what to think. It was all that was left of Shadow, and he had saved his life. But at the same time, he had done so much wrong. He...how was he...how?

Sonic looked at his hands. They felt naked after being ungloved for so long. Glancing at his bandanna resting outside on a clothesline, Sonic took a deep breath. He thought about wearing it again, pulling gloves onto his fingers, sporting overused tape on his arms and legs. But that version of himself didn't really exist anymore.

The old Sonic had died. But what would emerge from what he left behind?

Sonic was roused from his thoughts when he heard a loud crash, and saw Amy trying to gather several boxes of new belongings. For "homey" vibes, he supposed. Sonic sprinted over and took several into his arms.

"Thank you." Amy said. "Is this too much? I'm sorry, I just though-"

"No." Sonic smiled. "It's perfect. Thank you."

Despite the beautiful and decent changes to his home, Sonic wasn't ready to sleep on his own again. He decided to bunk with Amy for the time being, gladly taking the couch with a knit blanket wrapped around his shoulders. But he heard a sudden wooden _slam_. The door opened inwards, wind whistling and scattering leaves. Sonic got up to close the door for Amy's sake, but stopped dead in his tracks.

Something was out there. It was coming towards him. It had many legs, but didn't give off the impression of a spider. A badnik? Had Eggman finally decided to start fighting them again? But...no, it couldn't be.

"Shadow?"

It crawled up to Sonic. It had Shadow's face. But from his mouth emerged two tentacles, two disgusting bloody tentacles, bloody tentacles that belonged to that _thing_ , and stabbing him through the chest. Sonic threw up so much red, blood dripping down him in pools. The only reason he didn't drown in it was because Shadow had hoisted him into the air with his disgusting new limbs. Sonic felt powerless, he felt weak. In an instant, his red stripes were gone, and his body had devolved back to the shell of a hedgehog he had been only a week before. Shadow stood on a few more revolting feelers attached to his spines, the ones he used to crawl over here. He pulled his victim in closer, Sonic gasping for air.

"Give...back..." Shadow spoke quietly. Then his eyes rolled into his skull, and two more slimy appendages emerged from-

Sonic woke up, grabbing at his chest. The door was closed. Amy was asleep. He still had the stripes. Nothing was there to hurt him. Shadow wasn't taking out his revenge on him. No, Shadow had not risen from the grave. He had not fused with the...the... _creature_ that had hurt him. Still, Sonic stayed awake, staring at the door in case something did come through to take his life again. Amy found him red-eyed and silent that morning, refusing to answer any of her questions.

Two days passed. It was time for Knuckles' surgery.

While the doctors were baffled by the healthy state of his hands after such a horrible battle, they nonetheless got their tools together and put the echidna under. Drilling holes into the bone, they inserted a small titanium rod in each. On top of it, they placed his new prosthetic spikes. When Knuckles woke up, his fingers felt numb, but they no longer had that horrible "lightweight" feeling. He rapped on one of the spikes, accidentally cutting himself on it's sharpness. He felt a reverberation within his muscles, nerves, and everything else.

Knuckles nodded, sitting up. _This will work._

He did have to receive caps on his spikes and a casting on his hands, for the time being. _Not cool, doctors._ Knuckles thought, but he didn't have much of a choice against it. Upon his strolling return to home, Knuckles was greeted by a small welcoming party. Tails shot out a few party poppers while Amy presented a glorious set of silverware to help him recover his fine motor skills. Sonic held out a bouquet of pink _platycodons_.

"I, er, wasn't able to find red ones. Sorry." He shrugged. "But I just wanted to say thank you for making me that flower arrangement before-GAH!"

Sonic yelped in surprise as Knuckles grabbed him, lifting him up at least 2 feet and hugging him close. He held back tears, not even caring that he had made Sonic drop the bouquet. Knux was more focused on hoping the sun's dusking light would cover up the _massive_ blush on his cheeks.

"It's the greatest gift I've ever gotten." He said. "Thanks, bro."

Sonic was silent for a moment, before breaking out into joyful laughter.

The night was just the opposite. He awoke with a scream, fumbling off Tails' couch. It was right there, right there in the room, how did it survive?! He screamed for Tails, who awoke with a start. The little fox quickly turned on the lights, running to Sonic and putting his hands on his shoulders. "Sonic! Sonic, what's wrong?!"

"IT'S THERE! IT'S RIGHT THERE!" Sonic screamed, pointing at the large, cylindrical object in the corner. Tails frowned, and began rubbing his hands up and down his brother's arms. Trying to fight back a yawn, the little kit attempted to reason with Sonic in his demented state.

"It's just the water heater. Nothing else is here. You're okay." He said softly.

"No...no it's..." Sonic began rocking in place. He kept muttering nonsense to himself and telling Tails to "kill the thing before it hurt anyone else". With a sullen sigh, the fox grabbed a nearby blanket and covered the boiler with it. The rest of the night would be a long one, as Sonic sat in place and cried for hours before falling asleep on Tails' shoulder.

A day later, Sonic sat beside Sticks' hospital bed. The badger clung to his hand to make sure he was there, and not another medical hallucination. The bandage had been removed, revealing a heavily scarred face and clouded eyes. She kept waving her hand in front of them, hoping she'd catch maybe a glimpse of the world around her.

"This is weird." She muttered.

"You look like a warrior." Sonic commented. "Battlescars and everything."

"Thanks. Like I wasn't one before." She chuckled lightly, letting her hand fall back to the sheets. "I overheard one of the doctors say I get to leave next week."

That prompted Sonic to remember a query he had wanted to ask. "Hey, I have a question." Sonic began. "You're so paranoid of the government, yet you're perfectly fine being here. What's up with that?"

"Oh? Well, obviously the hospital is a safe place. It's the government that's making everythin' sketchy. Y'see, hospitals are always is scary to people. But why? They're supposed to help us, right? No, it's THE GOVERNMENT THAT KEEPS IS SCARY! Therefore more people won't go and more people will continue dying from untreated stuff. Why? Basically, it's population control by the pod people acting as our "cabinet friends", and I ain't falling for it!"

That made...some sense, actually, which was odd coming from Sticks. She crossed her arms in a huff, pleased with herself. Sonic placed a hand on her shoulder so she'd still know he was there.

"Sonic, you know I can smell ya from a mile away. You don't _have_ to keep poking me."

"Sorry." The hedgehog let go. "Wait, was that a jab at my hygiene? You know I take showers regularly!"

Sticks smirked. "Take it how you want." Upon hearing Sonic's growl of irritation, she laughed, a barking gab that was loud enough for a nurse to come in worried.

Much later, Sonic and Amy sat in their usual picnic spot. A "totally platonic, just friendly get-together". Sonic quietly munched on his cucumber sandwich, recognizing the tangy flavor but unable to place where he had eaten it before. To his side, he noticed a small daffodil, hanging limp to one side. It's petals were the color of a coconut husk rather than the shining sun.

He poked at the wilting flower. A little light returned to the petals, but it otherwise stayed fallen.

"I think my powers are starting to lessen a bit." Sonic told Amy.

Sonic found himself standing in front of the bathroom mirror, holding his scarf. His hand shivered, and while he attempted to tie it around his neck, he found the sensation more akin to being choked out. He clutched the beloved birthday gift, unsure of what to do, when he remembered how Sticks used to wear one of her bracelets.

Hesitantly, he tied it around his upper left arm. He smiled. Having an idea, he climbed back upstairs and grabbed the scissors, taking off his gloves and clumsily cutting off the parts that covered his index finger. Wrapping one layer of sports tape on his palm and spatting his shoes, Sonic looked triumphantly in front of the mirror.

"Eggman's gonna have a run for his money when he sees this." The hedgehog smirked.


	32. Long Time No See

_It was a quiet evening. Quiet enough for deep, personal questions with a friend without having to fear the outcome._

_"...Hey, Ames?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"If...I...if Shadow survived...and I started liking him the way he liked me, what would have happened?"_

_Amy smiled, placing a hand on Sonic's back._

_"I think you two would've been happy." She answered. Sonic sighed, gazing back at the sunset from his porch._

Sonic opened his eyes again, finished with reliving the memory. He stared at the mound at the top of the seaside cliff, and the beautiful _penumbra agapanthus_ swaying in the wind. Well, at least that's what he decided to call the flower.

"Shadow..." Sonic started. "I don't know if you can even hear me, but...I don't know what to do." The hedgehog examined his hand, emblazoned with a beautiful red lining. "I don't know how to use your powers like you did. I-I wanna give you a good legacy but I can't figure out how."

The flower stayed silent.

"Maybe we could have been something." Sonic said under his breath. "But now I'll never know. I'm so sorry Shadow."

He got up and kicked off into the trees, scaring some birds and making the flower wobble in place. It continued it's dance as sun rose from the sea's horizon...slowing down just enough to mimic the sway of a certain hedgehog's irritated stance.

Sonic arrived at Tails' house. Ever since he came back home, he had been studying with the fox, trying to figure out how to control his new powers and see what other gifts he could have. So far he had healing powers (which were dwindling), strength on par with Knuckles' (also dwindling), and a ridiculous amount of horsepower (thankfully, keeping up to speed, pun entirely intended).

What laid before him was an obstacle course of Tails' design. To describe it would be...difficult. It had hoops, jumps, crawls, climbs, pretty much anything meant to slow you down and take away your focus. Sonic knelt down on his hands, crouching down to the dirt. He blinked some of the dust out of his eyes, before taking a deep breath and letting it out.

"On my mark..." Tails set the stopwatch. "Mark!"

And with that Sonic ran.

Sonic wasn't too sure how he was still able to use this ability while the others slowly degraded. Tails theorized that 1) Sonic's natural skill with his speed allowed him to somehow already know how to control it, or 2) Sonic's blessed speed was Chaos Energy, and they just never realized it. Sonic was leaning toward the first answer. Hopefully, though, he could utilize his healing aura and super strength again. Heck, maybe even rip off some of Shadow's tricks!

That is, if either he or Tails could figure out how to do it. So far, just yelling "CHAOS BLAST" in the middle of nowhere wasn't doing the trick. Wind blew past his spines, messing up his fur. Sonic re-entered reality, vaulted over the last bucket of water and hit the dirt.

"Alright!" Tails held up the miniature clock in his palm. "3.02 seconds!"

Sonic sat up, shaking the sand out of his quills. He turned to his left, waved, and gave Tails a thumbs up. A cloud of steam marked his trail, skid marks all over the place. Apparently he had beaten his old record of 5.04 seconds.

Next stop? The hospital. Sticks has been freed, er, _released_ , and is going to test her ability to recognize her surroundings without eyesight. After sitting through all the evaluations and tests, Sticks denied any form of medical assistance and made it quite clear she'd rather rely on her primal instincts. All she wanted was to get home the fastest way possible.

Dressed in a pastel green shirt loaned from Amy, Sticks slowly walked out the door, nose constantly in the air to figure out where she was. Her eyes were still hidden by a bandage, a holdover from the doctors. It was strange; she was walking perfectly fine, as if she could still see. Hovering over her was a very concerned rose-colored hedgehog. "Sticks, please be careful..." Amy said, ready to catch her at a moment's notice.

The badger sighed. "I'll be fine, Ames."

"So do we walk you or do you know where you are?" Knuckles asked, rapping his namesakes together.

"Ehhh..." Sticks stopped, scratching her cheek. "I think. Give me a second, I can figure this out." She knelt down to the ground, sniffing the gritty sand and feeling around for plants or other odd objects that might give away their location. Suddenly, she stood up and swung a hand out, slapping Sonic right on the muzzle.

"MMPH! Shticksh!" Sonic mumbled. "Thatsh mah fashe."

"QUIET! I can't concentrate with all of you talking at the same time." She barked. For a while the badger stood there, an ear twitching, as Sonic struggled for freedom. Another 30 seconds passed and she took her hand off Sonic's muzzle, nodding to herself. "Got a landmark. The village center is 13 miles east from here. Thanks Sonic!"

"You figured that out from my face?"

"Well, it was really more the wafting smell of expired pigeon meat and the desert sand walkway leading to it, but yeah." Sticks shrugged. "So home is...that way!" She pointed northwest, to the jungle trees lining the pathway. Vines crawling up trunks and snakes hanging from branches. "Come on. If I'm right, this part of the jungle should be very familiar!"

"Sticks, there aren't any trails from there." Amy said, wringing her hands together. "It's best if we head to the village and then hike into the woods from there-"

Too late. The badger had already begun bounding through the tropical flora.

Sonic stepped forward to go after her. It was strange, just gliding between trees, narrowly avoiding sharp rocks, all in a matter of time he couldn't keep track of. But he didn't want to leave his friends behind. Sonic held out both hands.

"Well?" He offered. "Let's go catch her."

By the time everyone made it to the burrow, Sticks was already shaking off leaves and dirt, tearing off the hanging fabric of her green shirt. Sticks stood in front of her house, breathing in the fresh air. "Yeah, yeah. This is home alright." She walked forward and pushed open the door, and began searching through her nests of drawers like it was second nature.

"Leaf. Maple leaf. Tin foil. Aluminum dagger-ow. Ah, here we go." Sticks pulled out a long wrapping of seaweed and other types of grass. "Much better." She closed her eyes and tied it around her face. Sticks proceeded to go through more drawers, pulling out shorts that were eaten by moths, old mismatched shoes, and long strands of colored cloth. 

Finally, she slipped a hand into her firewood pile, finding a strip of redwood bark intended for incense, and brought it outside. "Ah, ya'll're here! Knuckles, could you do me a favor?"

"Me?" The echidna pointed at himself. "Sure!"

Sticks laid the bark out on the dirt, running a hand over it, then pointing to the middle. "Just make two small holes here." He nodded and positioned the tops of his spikes, pressing down. "Amy, couldja get my rope? It's right above my bed."

Amy shook her head, snapping herself out of the worried daze she was in. "Of course! Sonic, keep an eye on her." She pulled away from the confused blue hedgehog, quietly returning with the rope.

"Thanks." Sticks said, taking it and gnawing off bits of it. She threaded it through the holes Knuckles made, then wrapped the bark around her waist. The wood perfectly covered her stomach, and she let Tails tie the new belt together. Sticks stood, nodding to herself.

"I smell good, therefore I look good."

"You look amazing, Sticks." Sonic said, patting her on the shoulder. "But, uh, your hair did come undone while you were out and about. Want me to fix that for ya?" He tugged at several branches caught in the mess of her flowing mane. "Could get caught in something."

Tails rolled his eyes for a moment, muttering something about "much needed" gel and spines.

"Just don't make it look crazy."

Sonic nodded. Amy gave him an extra hairband she always carried on her person, and Sonic bunched up her hair into a single strand. He tied it together at the end, creating some sort of fishtail braid-without-the-braid. "Done! Shouldn't have any problems now." Amy was about to remind him that he neglected to brush it, but kept her mouth shut when she saw Sticks' smile. Knuckles clapped, adoring her new look.

Everything was fine. No, it was becoming _better_.

Knuckles received better prosthetics, braces that wrapped around his fingers to run up his shoulders for better backlash control. Sticks continued to expand on her outfit with Amy's help, sewing cloth over torn holes and incorporating a seashell necklace. Sonic and Knuckles began to spar regularly, testing both speed and strength. Tails, in an effort to keep up with his brother, improved his tail-piloting skills by 60%; managing to go up 70 feet without failure! It wouldn't be long before the three of them started training at equal ability.

And the most mundane thing? Well, Sonic had taken up gardening. He always had a habit of studying botany, but he never actually grew anything himself. He always checked on Shadow's Flower each morning, trying to figure out it's conditions and other...science-y things. After a few weeks of not being entirely sure what he was doing, he called Tails over to look at his notes so far.

The moon had begun to show itself. The waves lapped calmly at the sand. Tails held the cap of his red pen in his mouth, fixing errors in the hedgehog's journal. He removed the cap from his lips and twirled it on his fingers. "I'll admit, I'm surprised at how much you actually know. You've really studied."

"Thanks." Sonic threw a piece of caramel popcorn into the air and caught it easily in his mouth. "Sho...I've ahlsho ban meaning to tahlk wif you abou' shometing."

"Sure, what is it?"

He sat down beside his brother and explained the situation.

Tails bent an ear, confused. "Why haven't you visited her sooner?"

"I dunno." Sonic sighed. "Maybe I felt...betrayed? Or maybe it's because I was being a child. Gosh, I wish it were that simple." He ran a hand over his face, one red eye opening to stare at the ceiling. "I haven't spoken to her in years. I'm worried she'll reject me."

"You're the most important person to her. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to let you back into her life."

Sonic nodded, blinking away tears. "Okay. Tomorrow. I'll see her tomorrow."

And tomorrow it was. Sonic skid to a halt at the entrance of Emerald Hills Rehabilitation Facility. He showed the doctor a dusty birth certificate and was allowed access to her room. For a while, he stood outside the door, trying to compose himself and figure out what to say. Or how to explain his appearance. Did she even remember him? No, of course she did. She had to. His grip tightened on the vase of _akebia_ flowers.

He knocked. A meek voice said "come in". Sonic opened the door, and gently closed it. 

"Just leave any papers on my nightstand." Said the purple-colored hedgehog. "I'll get to it after I'm done with this painting."

Sonic placed the vase of flowers down, and cleared his throat. "Hey mama."

Akebi H. Hedgehog turned around, meeting her son's eyes for the first time in 5 years.


	33. Japanese Chocolate Vines

Akebi dropped her paintbrush, creating a minuscule splatter on the floor. The unfinished painting of the coast hung silently, and she took off her apron. It floated to the floor with a small _pat_.

"Wh-who...?"

"It's me. Sonic."

Akebi pressed a hand over her mouth. "It can't be. You...you said you never wanted to see me...and my baby boy has blue fur and green eyes."

"Mama-"

"I don't know who let you in but I will give you 10 seconds to leave before I call security." Akebi shuffled over to her bed, hand hovering over a large red button that certainly spelled doom for the situation.

 _Alright. Time for Plan B. Let's just hope this room is soundproof._ Sonic closed his taking, taking the deepest breath he could have ever possibly taken. "I-If...if you're strong, you c-can fly..." He began to sing. "You can reach the other side-"

"Of the rainbow." Akebi finished. Her hand wandered away from the button. "It's all right. Take a chance."

"Cause there is no circumstance," Sonic kept going.

"That you can't handle when you use your mind." They sang together, in perfect harmony. Akebi sniffled, tried to rub her tears away.

"Sonic..." She let out a sob, and then ran over to her son. "My little boy! My little boy, 'm here, baby! Mama's here!"

"Yeah, you are." Sonic smiled, his chest bumping up and down from his laughter. "Sonic's here. I mean, _I'm_ here. Mama, I've missed you so much, I'm so sorry!"

"Don't you dare apologize!" Akebi tugged him closer. "I sent you away. You have every right to be mad at me."

"I'm not mad, not anymore. I love you mama, I love you so much..." He moved his hands behind her head and pressed his muzzle against her shoulder, crying. "I love you, I love you. I'll never leave again, I promise."

"Wait." She pulled away, her joyful expression replaced with one of curiosity. "Wait! But your eye. Your fur! It's all red! Sneakers, what happened to you?!"

Sonic rolled his eyes at her old nickname for him. "I...um, got into some trouble. _It'snotbloodIswear_. A friend of mine...donated. To save my life."

"You mean you _lost_ your eye?!"

"No, it's actually a bit more complicated than that. You see, there was this virus-"

"SONIC!" Akebi shook him by the shoulders. "What in your father's name have you been up to these past 6 years?!"

"Five." He corrected her.

"WHATEVER! You got hurt! Sneakers, you're going to sit down and tell me everything!"

Sonic winced at her suddenly treating him like he was 10 again. "Mom-"

"SONIC THEADORE HEDGEHOG." Akebi put on a stern tone that she was unfamiliar with, but it just came to her naturally. "Sit down. Right now. And tell me what's been going on."

"Yes ma'am." Sonic replied in a soft tone. He folded his hands together and started from the very beginning.

_"MAMA!" Sonic cried, being held back by his new "fosterparents". "MAMA! MAMA COME BACK! MAMA!" The car she was escorted into grew ever so smaller in the distance. She was going somewhere, somewhere he couldn't follow._

_"I'm sorry Sonic, but she has to go now." Said the female porcupine, holding onto his arm with an iron grip. "You must understand that she's doing this-"_

_"MAMA! MAMA!" Sonic cried, dropping to his knees and wailing. The porcupine couple tried to comfort him, saying "it's for the best", but he flared out his spines and curled into a ball. He wanted his mother back. He wanted to be held against her soft fur like she always did. He didn't want these people to be taking care of him. He didn't care how nice their house was. He hated them. Sonic wished his papa could come back and save him._

_He wanted his mother._

_He hated his mother._

_He pitied his mother._

_Sonic was saved from falling into a dark place by a young fox cub next door. They would talk through the holes in the fence, and exchange items of interest. Sonic lent him comic books. The fox, Miles, gave him neat little contraption. Miles would often speak about a "flight achievement". They kept talking, and talking, until Miles finally climbed over the fence using his twin tails as a propeller. He landed in front of Sonic with a thump, and began to cry as he rubbed dirt from his cheeks._

_"Hey! It's okay..." Sonic pat his head. "You did great!"_

_"I-I-I did...?" Miles looked up._

_"Super cool! With those two tails of yours, you could be a super hero! Sonic and Miles! Saving the day!"_

_"...But Miles isn't a superhero name." The fox said softly._

_"Then...I'll just call you Tails."_

Over the years, they protected the town together. Sonic forgot about his mother. One day this really tall human fella came to town and tried to present an idea to the mayor, a huge gun-looking thing that could shoot energy particles. "It will come in handy in defending the town, from real threats", he said. But the price to obtain it would be to give up leadership to this human guy.

Sonic was the first one to speak up about how stupid of an idea that was.

Long story short, the evil scientist, "Doctor Eggman", was sent running out of town, screaming about how ungrateful they all were and that he'd be back. A year later, he was. He had a small army of robotic bees. Tails and Sonic successfully destroyed them using a combo attack. Next week he came back, and he first attack repeated.

Again, again, again, he would attack and they would defend. Sometimes, somebody else would step up to protect the town. A close friend of Sonic's, Amy Rose, swung a huge stick and tore into the crab bots. Village oddity, Knuckles, ripped apart a mech because it interrupted his flower-viewing. The four quickly became friends, and shared an unbreakable bond. When Sonic was 15, he stumbled across a young badger girl who was lining a fruit stand with tinfoil. When asked about it, she replied "Oh, just making precautions for when the pod people burst from their underground facilities and enslave us all."

Sonic was disinterested in her paranoia, but Amy of all people actually began to speak with her. Sticks explained she was raised in the jungle, and her parents had just made the trip to Badger Hill Hole for retirement, making her sole protecter of the forest. Ever so slowly, Sticks was accepted into the group, and proved to be a valuable asset. Despite her odd theories, she truly cared for people she'd barely met, including Sonic and co., and that's what earned her their trust. The young badger was always hesitant to join the team, but she officially made herself apart of it after an incident involving a snake named Lyric.

"And so, we've been protecting the town for a while. All sorts of weird situations." Sonic scratched the back of his head. "I won't get into all of them now, but I'm assuming you want to know our most recent adventure?"

Akebi nodded, placing a hand on her son's heart. "Who was this friend of yours that saved you?"

Sonic, begrudgingly, began his recounting of the sickness. Akebi nearly burst into tears at one point, apologizing profusely for not being there, while Sonic calmed her down. But then he got to the part where he almost _died_ , and he was shaking, tears welling up in his eyes this time. But Shadow had saved him.

"Shadow said he loved me." Sonic sobbed. "Then he was gone. And I woke up to this." He gestured to his fur.

"...Did you love him back?" Akebi asked softly.

"I don't know." Sonic sniffed. "It happened so fast. I wish he was still here so I could figure that out, I want to be able to love him, Mama, I wanted to forgive him, I..." Sonic stopped talking, Akebi pulling him into a hug.

"Honey, while you've scared me half to death more time than I can count today, I'm so proud of you." She squeezed harder. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry that I was never there for you when you needed me most. I don't know how I could ever make up for it, but from now on, I'll be here. If you ever want me. I swear, I'm never losing sight of you again."

"You never lost me." Sonic whimpered. "I was the one who-"

There was a rumble, shaking the room and knocking over the vase of flowers. It fell with a crash, glass and water covering the floor. At the same time, Sonic's communicator beeped. He let go of his mother and stared down at it, a flashing red icon indicating the worst possible event to happen at this time.

"Sneakers?" Akebi asked. "What's that alarm for?"

"Eggman." Sonic said, steeling himself. "He's finally come back." Sonic stood, and then smiled at his mom. He held a hand out. "Wanna see me do something really cool?"

Akebi's eyes shone with tears, and she nodded. Placing her hand in Sonic's, the room was empty in seconds; only the fluttering curtains and drying paint supplies left. Flowers scattered, settling.


	34. Unbelievably Empowered

Hedgehog Village was on fire. Sillouhettes of dangerous beings and...eggs, stood towering over the flames.

It was here Obliterator Bot and Burn Bot stood, Eggman floating above their massive metal bodies in his eggmobile. He laughed, giving a mock bow, and gently floating down to the ground; meeting the heroes eye-to-eye.

"Well well well." Eggman crossed his arms, taking a step out onto the battlefield. "It's so nice that you waited for me. Oh, I love your new costumes, truly!" He sneered at the echidna. "Knuffles, was it? Love the new armor. And did you paint your spikes? I never saw you as one for that kind of cosmetic hobby."

Knuckles growled, shifting his stance.

"And Sticks! Total road warrior costume! Although, in my opinion, the bandage would hinder your fighting prowess, but I'm not about to judge somebody's choice in eyewear." The doctor adjusted his glasses to prove his point.

"You. Have no idea what shit we've been through." Sticks pulled out her bō staff and hissed.

"I wouldn't. But since you are all alive and I see Sonic's blue trail on the horizon, I'll assume you successfully destroyed that little invasive organism problem of yours. Right Amy?" The pink hedgehog gasped.

"You...you mean you knew about the Death Machine?!"

"Flybots, madame, flybots." Several began to float around him to prove his point. "And I can read a little bit of Ancient. How do you think I was able to activate all those robots in the first game?"

"Touche." She grumbled. "But why didn't you help us?!"

"I did. I led you to Shadow. It doesn't take much research to realize he's an immortal being. He'd know more about it than I would. After all, I spied on him for years, and he still doesn't look a day over 19." Eggman twisted his mustache condescendingly, before clearing his throat and climbing back into his eggmobile.. "Now, before I squash you in a completely fair battle, how is Shadow anyway? Back to brooding?" The team stiffened.

That was when Sonic arrived. His mother stumbled on the grass, shaking.

"Mama, you good?"

Akebi gave her son a thumbs up. She looked to the village square, and doubled back in surprise. "Is that the Eggman you were talking about?!"

"Yep. He's actually not a bad guy once you get to know him. But he wants to take control over the island, so it's our job to stop him, and that leads to this." He gestured at the mechanical monstrosities nearly blocking the sun. "Don't worry. We do this all the time. You just stay back here."

"Sneakers..." Akebi frowned, hesitant.

"Mama. Please." Sonic put his hands on her shoulders. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"SONIC!" A loud voice blasted from across the square. "It's been so long!" Eggman waved like an excited schoolgirl. Sonic (after rolling his eyes) made a "wait here" gesture to his mother, then sped off to join his friends in front of the army. Akebi huddled behind a palm tree, shaking. Eggman sat his chin on his hands, only making the experience worse. "I'm glad to hear you're okay. When I was spying on you I really did think you were going to die. But you're back! And...did you dye your fur? And what's with the bloodshot eye?"

Sonic grumbled. "A memento from a friend. Now are we done exchanging greetings and ready to kick butt?"

"I suppose so." Eggman grinned. "Oh, and did I mention I was stalling? I mean, I did want to talk with you, but I figured I'd get the rest of my robot army up and ready while doing so." He patted down his jacket, fiddling with the buttons. "Robots! Attack!!!!!!"

Suddenly, thousands of bee-bots, crab-bots, and motobugs emerged, condensing into a mass of wires, lasers, and buzzsaws. Mantis bots crept out from the bushes, moving at high speeds with their sickle-claws out to scrape. The larger robots raised their cannons and fists, aiming at the ground with little red target lasers.

_Holy crap. They were actually being coordinated._

"I've come to make an announcement!" Eggman announced. "I'm not holding back! I'll beat you all into a sorry pulp! OHOHOHOHOHO!"

"Not if we have anything to say about-" Tails was cut off by a motobug suddenly circling him, kicking up dust. The fox was forced to fly up to breathe fresh air, only to be met with some very angry robo-bees. Amy tried to jump up and help him swat the little gizmos out of the sky, but was surrounded by legions of crab-bots. She tried swinging her Hamer, but was unable to find the right balance when they began pinching her feet sporadically. She was stuck in a strange dance, the machines seemingly laughing at her.

Knuckles was busy trying to keep the Mantis bots off Sonic, as he spin-dashed aggressively against Obliterator's exterior. Unfortunately for the poor echidna, every punch was met with a bloody cut on his hand, and the blunt swinging of the fellow was hopeless against the sharp-cut edges of each badnik. Even their heads left lacerations all over him.

Sticks chittered, and started running towards Knuckles to help him. Too fast, Burnbot intercepted her, and began spraying it's namesake in the badger's face. Sticks screamed and ducked behind a rock, fire blazing in an arc around her. In a panic, she threw a boomerang, which twirled and hit Burnbot right on the head...only to have the machine fall onto the very rock Sticks was hiding behind and _explode_ , sending her flying.

"COME ON! GET SOME!" Sonic landed on the ground and bounced himself up to Obliterator's face, when a giant fist caught him. In seconds, he was smushed on the ground, nearly 3 tons adhering the hedgehog from fighting back. Eggman began laughing with unseen glee.

"I'M GONNA DO IT! I'm finally gonna beat Sonic!" He pressed something on a controller, and Obliterator held up it's other fist. Sonic struggled against the force of the machine, but to no avail. He could feel his lungs being crushed, stars dancing in the corners of his eyes. Tired, he took a moment look around.

Knuckles was locked in a bloody battle cage with the Mantis bots, raising his arms around his head to defend himself. Amy's legs had been caught and were being painfully twisted by the crabs, her screams unbearable as she lost grip of her hammer. Sticks was coughing up smoke from Burnbot's wreckage, unable to smell her way out of the battle. Tails was being swarmed by the bees up in the air, and he was _crying_.

No.

No.

He would not lose.

He did not go through all of this just to lose.

Sonic placed his hands firmly on Obliterator's foot. A burning gold haze surrounded him.

"Get...off...me..."

"What's the magic word?" Eggman asked. "Hint, it's accepting your defeat and letting me reign supreme."

Sonic growled, grinding his teeth. He was about to say it, to accept loss and let his hero days be over. But that was not an option. For a moment, he closed his eyes, and saw Shadow's form. Shadow...what an idiot sonic had been, thinking he could live up to that guy's expectations. The image of the ebony hedgehog stepped forward, smiling. What a strange thing to see...Shadow's smile. Wait. Sonic was in his happier place again, and a single tear dripped down his face. _That only meant one thing._

"SHADOW!" Sonic cried out, trying to reach him. "Shadow, I'm sorry! You let me live and now I'm about to die. It was all for nothing." He began sobbing, and soft hands reached out to cup his face. Sonic's head was lifted up, and he gazed into scarlet eyes.

"No it wasn't." Shadow said softly. He placed his hand on Sonic's shoulder. "You can still win this."

"How? My friends are hurt, and I can't help them. Shadow, I can barely breathe. I'm already hallucinating you."

Shadow laughed. A...strange, but pleasant noise. "You're still that dumb idiot I fell in love with." He gave Sonic a hard flick against his forehead, the force resonating within the blue hedgehog's body. "I'm real, and I'm right here."

Sonic rubbed his cheek. "Then what do I do? How do I win?"

"Give them hell." The spirit of Shadow smirked.

Reality slowly came back. Pops of color shattering to existence. Lightning crackled along Sonic's fur, and his red eye began to glow. There was another magical phrase that'd get him out of this, even if Eggman didn't like it. Gathering all his emotions into a small ball at the center of his heart, Sonic let loose his power with two words.

"CHAOS BLAAAAAAAAAAST!"

A red wave shot out. All robots stopped moving when they were hit by it, and they shattered-globs of sand and dust littering the ground. Eggman screeched, putting his hands to his head as both Obliterator Bot and Burnbot were reduced to ashes. Eggman's screams and pleas to regain his upper-hand fell on deaf ears. Sonic stood, his face one not of rage, but of firm contentment. He nodded at Eggman, and the doctor yelled something incomprehensible. Something expletive something "this should have turned the tides" something expletive. He turned tail and flew off, his eggmobile miraculously unharmed in the explosion.

The united defenders of the village slowly stood up and wiped the dust from their fur and spines. Sonic felt the power lessen in him and gasped, a hand to his heart. He barked for air again when Tails came at him with a hug, and started laughing. Something full of joy, full of happiness, with not a peck of despair or guilt. Team Sonic regrouped, all in awe at the situation around them.

"What was that?!" Amy asked, limped over and wrapping her arms around him. "That was amazing!"

"I..." Sonic hesitated as he allowed Knuckles and Sticks to get in on the hug. "I think I used the Chaos Energy Shadow gave to me. On command!"

"Good." Sticks commented. "Now that that's over, you can explain to me who that chocolate-vine smelling lady running over to us is." Sonic's ears went down. He had totally forgotten in the heat of the battle. Here she com-

"SOOOOOOOONIIIIIIIC!"

Akebi came crashing into the group, hurling herself at her son with nigh-sonic speed. The two hedgehogs pummeled into the dirt, Akebi gripping Sonic like a lifeline. "YOU HAD ME SO WORRIED! Are you alright?" She began checking his face and shoulders. "No, no, you're fine. Your friends! Are you all okay?!" She sat up, freeing her son to stare at the dumbfounded group. Amy was the first to find her voice.

"We've been through worse, ma'am." Amy rolled a shoulder, cracking and popping the muscle and bone. "Wait...who are you?" She looked between the doting hedgehog and Sonic, realization setting in like dripping honey. Tails put a hand to his mouth, and Sticks leaned on Knuckles, a brow raised.

"Who's that?" The echidna pointed to Akebi. "She's pretty."

Akebi blushed slightly in embarrassment. Sonic jumped to his feet, realizing he had a _lot_ of explaining to do. "Huh? Huh! Uh...well, this is." He helped her up. "This is my mama- my mom. This is my mom."

On a cliff by the sea, a red and black Mobian finished tending to the lily that grew in the shining sun. He looked up, smiling. He huffed, a happy huff, and faded away. For a fraction of a second, all was at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One last chapter.


	35. A Short Conclusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm so thankful for my readers, truly. I don't think I could ever have finished this without you guys. This adventure has been wonderful and I'm just so happy I finally finished a multi-chaptered story for once! Words cannot express how much I love you guys. Thank you for riding along.

Doctor Eggman returned to his fortress of a home, grumbling. He did not "lose", I mean; how was he supposed to know Sonic decided to practice some insane steroid while he was holed up in his apocalypse bunker for nearly a month?!

Despite this, Eggman was still quite grateful the menace had been stopped. Conquering a world would be nice, but a dead, metal world? No thank you, that was _his_ to create! Not that shabby gripe of an amoeba, hiding away in it's little home like a coward!

Ivo opened up one of his many testing rooms; this one in particular had been interesting. About four months ago, he had unearthed what looked like an Ancients' Prison Pod, and a creature was trapped inside. The readings of Chaos energy were off the charts! Since Eggman could not utilize the Chaos Crystals for...completely legitimate reasons, I assure you, he believed that he could create an alternative using whatever was inside here.

The only thing that stood between him and that power was about 2 tons of ancient metal alloy (1/3 of which had been melted away) and a simply bulletproof glass wall. That father of his would never have reached these lengths of genius and madness, despite the incredulous things he always said about his "poor" son.

Agreeing this was a major win for the day, Eggman smiled, the glistening of his white teeth and shining mustache bouncing off the glass and onto the Pod's surface. He pulled a lever, and lightning began sparking around the alloyed orb; another attempt to weaken it's defenses and crack that baby open like an egg. Eggman chuckled, loving his own puns oh so very much.

He was so busy patting himself on the back, Ivo did not notice the small dent forming at the top of the Prison.

_**THE END** _

**PROJECT.C LOG: CHSNRG_BLGCLTSTNG DAY.51**

Dammit, we had come so far but we must act _now_. I thought we could fix the flaws before it was too late, but it's corruption upon her body and mind had been much faster than we anticipated. We should have used their raw, natural power rather than a refined portion because of my own ridiculous "safety measures". Tomorrow we will attempt to siphon away the energy from **[REDACTED]** 's body to give her another chance at a normal life, using the MAIA-Power_Receiver-01 prototype. I can only pray she will forgive us for what we have done to her.

Despite the failure of our subject, she has granted us so much knowledge, and hopefully next time it will not end so badly. Our new candidate seems like an eager young man who's damn willing to help improve our world.

_Doctor Lyric Opiuchus, Head Researcher at the Laboratory of Chaos Power and Restoration_

_**THE END...?** _

Y̶̹͘o̶̺̅u̴͉̚.̸̹͊ ̷̯̕  
̵͕̌Y̷̺̿ẹ̷̃s̷͇̿,̶͙̿ ̸̬̍ỵ̵͆o̷̤̔u̷͑ͅ.̴̰̂ ̷̺̈D̸͇̄e̷͓͊â̶̜r̶͖͘ ̶̟͠r̴̲̓ȇ̶̘a̵̱̍ḍ̴̊e̵̛͖ŗ̷͝.̴̜̈́ ̸͈̾  
̶͔̓I̷̻̿ ̶̢̃c̴̖̿a̵̪̅n̸͍͌ ̷̭͊s̵̼̾e̴̬̐ë̸͇ ̶̢͠ý̸̻o̵̲̕ú̴͚.̷̭̽ ̸̪̀  
̵̯̎Y̴̨͝o̴̡̊ṷ̷̾ ̴̨̃w̵̤̍i̸̠͊l̷̹͠l̶̤̔ ̵̼̋ẇ̵̧a̴̙̓t̸͇͂c̸̜͛ḣ̵̘ ̶̢̐ṁ̷ͅe̸̪͂ ̸̠̅t̸̗͘a̶̹̾ķ̸͆e̶̱̚ ̷̌͜t̵̪̅h̵͓͝ḛ̸̊ ̶̹̌l̸̦̍ī̶̜f̵͇̚e̵͎͊ ̶̭̇f̸̜̏ŗ̴̈́ô̸͖m̸̪̒ ̸̻̚h̸̘͊ǐ̴̜s̴̻̆ ̸̫͋ë̸̹́y̸͕̏e̶̖̎ś̵̰.̷͓͑ ̷̣̑  
̴̯̔T̶͚̕h̸̠̀e̶͎͑ ̶͈̚m̷̱̆a̷̲̔n̷̡̍ ̵͍͐ẅ̴̝ḣ̵̰o̶̧̍ ̷̖̃ț̴̿o̶̟̾o̵͙͘k̴̛̜ ̶͔̾e̵̢̋v̶͔̾ḙ̵͐ŕ̷̳y̸̤͆t̷̺͝h̸͖̏i̶̗̅n̸̜͊g̵̫̈́ ̵͕͛f̵̟̈r̶̘̍ọ̵͋m̶̱̓ ̴̻̌m̷̲͑è̴̳.̴̛͉  
̶̱̑H̵̺͒Ą̸̚H̶̟͠A̸̎͜H̶͙̕A̵͉̓  
̵͙̏S̷͕͘ḛ̸͘e̸͇͠ ̶͈̓y̸̬͐ö̴̮ù̸͙ ̵̖̔s̷̬̓o̸̠͂o̴͚͛n̶̼̅.̸̘̽

**Huh. This is not the end after all, it seems. I can't wait to see you again in...**

**_I Shall Not Give In_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I Shall Not Cry Out officially has a theme: "Death with Dignity" by Sufjan Stevens.
> 
> Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsGODTySH0E

**Author's Note:**

> Please, leave your thoughts and reviews. It helps me get better with each chapter!


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